The Psychology Behind Why Music Helps You Work Out

We know that music helps a lot of us through a workout, but the the psychology behind when music works and when it doesn't is still being investigated. The BBC Future has a few ideas about what's going on in your brain.

In general, music has the greatest effect on self-paced exercise:

In general, music has the greatest effect on self-paced exercise:

The benefits of music are largest for self-paced exercise - in other words, those sports where some of the work involved is in deciding when to act, as well as how to act. This means all paced exercises, like rowing or running, rather than un-paced exercises like judo or football. My speculation is that music helps us perform by taking over a vital piece of the task of moving, the rhythm travels in through our ears and down our auditory pathways to the supplementary motor area. There it joins forces with brain activity that is signalling when to move, helping us to keep pace by providing an external timing signal. Or to use a sporting metaphor, it not only helps us out of the starting blocks but it helps to keep us going until we reach the line.

It makes sense. After all, music distracts us from fatigue, and at the right BPM music can improve a workout. If you need some help picking out the best exercise headphones, we've got you covered as well.

The psychology of workout music | BBC Future

Why You Should Hold a Mock Interview with a Friend for a Job You Want

We've noted in the past that a little role playing can help you out when preparing for an important job interview, but common thought puts you in the place of the interviewee.

Experienced hiring managers who have interviewed many candidates will often say they don't get nervous at their own job interviews anymore, because they've done so many interviews from the other side and understand how an interviewer's mind works. You can get a bit of this benefit by playing the interviewer yourself. If you have a job-searching friend, suggest that you practice together - taking turns playing the part of the interviewer. You might be surprised by how much more comfortable it makes you both feel.

This makes sense. It puts you in a situation to think about the questions you'd want to know if you had to hire someone for the same job, ultimately preparing you for what to expect. You'll also get to hear your friend look for answers you might not have thought of and expand your library of options when responding to the questions for real. Next time you try a mock interview, don't forget to do the interviewing, too.

How to Develop the Hireable Skills You'll Actually Need After College

Below are the tips:

Solicit Feedback Ruthlessly-

Get feedback from everyone you can. Ask your professors, also your peers, and try extra hard to get feedback from people that are not in university and/or have been out of the system for a while.

Get feedback on everything. On your writing, the way you made your most recent decision, your side projects, your schedule, social situations,etc.

Getting feedback is probably the best way to improve yourself. There are just some things that we can't see in ourselves that other people can point out fast. Prioritize this and you'll be way ahead the rest of your peers.

How do you do this? It's mustering up a small amount of courage and just saying "Hey, can I ask you a question?" And then ask it.

Most people are honored you'd ask them.

Some people might be vague with their feedback, which might not help out all that much. But every once in a while you'll find someone who is brutally honest. These are the people you need more feedback from. Be thankful, put the advice in to practice, and then pay it forward. When someone asks you for advice, be honest.

Solve Problems And Add Value-

Quick summary: Reach out to someone you'd like to work for. Offer to work on a mini project that would be useful to them, for free to start. Then blow them out of the water with your work. Nurture that relationship and develop yourself.

Everyone is struggling with something, and everyone's too busy. Use that to your advantage, offer to help.

Get Some Skills On The Side-

If you take anything away from this piece it's this: while you're at university make something else a big part of your life (Read: actively avoid trying to make your world revolve only around school). You have control over who you become. Develop a skill on the side.

How To Maximize Your Learning Through Lectures

You can maximize your learning through lectures if you will do some preparation before it and make a follow-up after it. By doing this, I can guarantee you that you will not need to cram and panic before and during your exam.

Even students need to prepare for lectures by knowing what is the topic or subject matter of your upcoming lectures. Browse the stated chapter of the book so that you will become familiar with the terms that the lecturer may give. Identify or highlight those terms that seems hard to understand so that you could ask them during the lecture.

During lecture, be sure that you listen attentively and actively. Remember that it is more important to listen than to take notes and not understand anything. But do jot down the important terms or significant data for your reference later. If the question or the terms you set aside earlier was not mentioned or still not clear to you, you may ask the lecturer at this time.

After the lecture, it would be better to review the terms and data you jotted down and fill any missing information. The terms you have noted no matter how brief it is will become a valuable review material for your future examinations.

10 Reasons You Need to Make a Decision Today

You need to make a decision today.

You know it. And you probably even know your choice.

Yet, it has been put off for some time.

You need to make that decision today.

Not Making a Choice is a Choice

Recently, I was talking to a friend who passed up an opportunity to switch jobs and careers.

He was not looking, but an opportunity found him to join a company he respected in a role that really excited him.

Yet, he passed.

Well, that’s not entirely accurate.

He didn’t pass… he didn’t choose.

He didn’t make a decision. He thought about it. He worried, mulled, pondered, and waited. He could not bring himself to an answer.

The opportunity passed. The job went to someone else.

“When you don’t make decisions, life will choose for you.” 

My friend was scared to make a change. He was afraid of making the wrong choice. He wasn’t sure of himself or the opportunity.

Now, he will not know what could have happened. (Good or bad…)

What opportunities are you letting pass by because you don’t make decisions?

Making Decisions Makes All the Difference

The one thing that you truly control in life is your own decisions.

Make sure that you exercise your ability to choose.

Otherwise, life will make those choices for you.

Here are 10 Reasons You Need to Make a Decision Today:

You May Not Get Another Chance – Sometimes opportunity only knocks once. Don’t let an option pass you by because you don’t make a timely decision.

You Can Change Your Mind – Don’t let the fear of making a wrong choice paralyze you. There are very, very few decisions in life that are not changeable. Your degree, your job, where you live, even your relationships. You can choose again.

It’s Not That Important – As well, there are very few decisions in life that are truly that important. Don’t let perceived importance scare you from choosing.

Not Making A Choice is a Choice – When you don’t choose for yourself, life will choose for you. Ironically, too many people make their decisions by not choosing.

A Good Decision Beats a Perfect One – To re-phrase a famous quote, a good decision now always beats a perfect one later. Don’t wait to make a choice that may pass you by.

Choosing is a Privilege – It is the one thing that you control in your life. Make sure you choose your own path.

Other People’s Decisions Are Not Your Own – Make your own choices. Live your own life. Otherwise, you will look back and realize that you are living someone else’s life and priorities.

Inaction Leads to a Boring Life – Some people choose not to make decisions because they think it is easier. They tell themselves that it is less stressful if they don’t choose. This may be true, but it is also boring. It is uneventful and lazy. Be bold in your decisions and live with the good and the bad.

There is Never a Perfect Time – Don’t wait for the right time. There isn’t one. There is never a perfect time… just time.

Today Always Beats Tomorrow – Today is the only day you have. Tomorrow is only a promise and may never come. Dream for tomorrow, but live for today. Make your choice and do it now.

It’s Your Choice

Making decisions can be the difference between a life well-lived and being driftwood on the river of life.

If you don’t make your own choices, then life or someone else will make them for you.

Make today the day you decide.

Tips For Effective Note Taking During Lectures

Note taking is a common activity to many students but doing it effectively is a skill that must be learned. To make effective note taking a student must do multi-tasking because during lectures they are required to listen attentively to understand what the lecturer is discussing. At the same time, they have to write note to recall what has been discussed.

Remember that in taking notes one must write more for a better recall and to ensure that highlights of the discussion were included on the notes. Write as much as you can and make sure to note the lecturer’s ideas. This will help you to capture and to put in good use the note that has been taken down. Using highlighter is recommended to mark the key points.

Most of the lecturers give important message or tips at the first and last part of the lecture. Listen and focus on these stages. Make sure to adjust your attention and write the ideas laid down on each topic.

Observe and identify the phrases used by the lecturers like “take note that….or the key point is…” these are clear indications that such details are important and can give value on the topic.

5 Bad Health Habits Commonly Developed in College

College is often a time to experiment with indulgence of various kinds. Unfortunately, some of those indulgences never seem to fade away as we enter the real world. Here are seven poor health habits we often develop in college, and have trouble un-developing once we graduate. If you catch them early, maybe you won’t become a victim of these lifelong issues!

Smoking

That first cigarette is normally the only one that smokers truly regret. A large percentage of smokers start in college, often in the middle of a night of binge drinking. Unfortunately, the cigarette habit is a much harder one to kick when you’re beyond the college years. When your chimney friends offer you a smoke to keep them company outside the party, do yourself a favor and say no!

Skipping Breakfast

This is a bad habit with only one solution: eat something for breakfast. Those who skip breakfast are more likely to develop chronic diseases, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and obesity. Skipping breakfast in college can cause poor attention in your classes, afternoon binge eating, and an unhealthy reliance on caffeine.

Train your body to drink a liter of water in the morning and eat a little something for breakfast — peanut butter toast or a banana — for a healthier brain.

Procrastinating

Believe it or not, there are actually long-term harmful health effects of procrastination, namely increased stress. Planning and preparation are a happy person’s best friends, but procrastination in college and later in life can cause lots of problems.

From forgetting to buy a birthday present for a friend, to missing the deadline to pay a bill/turn in an application/buy tickets, the increased stress of lifelong procrastination can wreak havoc on your health. Battle the procrastinator now while you still have a chance!

Media Overuse

Yes, it’s great to have a newsfeed, it’s important to stay up to date on current events, and it is nice of us to check in with friends and family throughout the day.

However, college students develop a terrible habit of interacting more via technology than in person, and this can cause major issues later in life, especially when you hit the job market or start raising kids. Buy a watch, and leave your smart phone at home every once in a while.

All-Day Earbuds

Music is great. It’s been loved for centuries, and for many, it’s a way of life. However, it’s a good idea to take a long break from those headphones you shove into your ears at full blast.

I know you’ve got things you want to block out, like your roommate, or your parents, but according to this study, the prevalence of hearing loss in youths is on the rise, and once your headphones kill those auditory hair cells, you can’t grow more. That youthful hearing is gone forever. Opt for some noise-canceling headphones or regular speakers instead. Your 30-year-old ears will thank you.