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by Liz Coffin-Karlin, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

Students around the country are finishing up finals, breathing the sweet scent of fresh summer air...and figuring out ways to pay for food and “Avengers” tickets this summer. Whether it’s a high-powered investment banking internship or making coffee at your favorite hipster hangout, finding a summer job is incredibly competitive but here are a few simple (though easy to overlook) tips that make you a stronger candidate.

First, do your research before making contact with a potential employer. Know what the company does, what your potential job entails and the names of most major staff members (including everyone you would potentially be working with/under). Now don’t be creepy – just because you recognize someone doesn’t mean you should shout out their high school GPA and prom date’s name (you’d be horrified what people can find on Google) – but use the info to tailor in-person and written responses to be relevant to what they’re interested in adding to the company. I recommend Glassdoor.com for good insider information on popular companies.

Second, take what you learned about Google and search yourself! I guarantee you that many potential employers are doing just that, as well as looking at your Facebook, Twitter and Google+ accounts. (You can probably leave your unupdated-since-2005 MySpace alone – even employers don’t care about that anymore.) I know I sound like a parent but I cannot stress enough that you should improve your privacy settings on everything. Worst case scenario, your employer doesn’t use search engines and you’ve frustrated that dude from freshman year algebra who still looks at your pictures. Best case scenario, potential employers won’t see that “awesome” happy hour/prank/streaking incident.

Finally, remember the benefits of networking. I know I’ve always felt embarrassed about using a friend or acquaintance to find a position – it feels like my achievement is less real – but a job is what you put into it, not how you get it. Talk to as many people as possible about your goals, set up informational interviews and even shadow someone for a day. Take friends or family members up on every opportunity – it feels like nepotism but they might be seeing something in you that would be an asset to their company. Don’t turn anything down just because you didn’t apply on Monster.

What’s that? You followed these tips and got the job? Great! Just don’t forget to take a minute to enjoy that feeling of success and achievement before you actually start working.

Liz Coffin-Karlin grew up in Sarasota, Florida, where the sun is always shining and it’s unbearably hot outside. She went to college at Northwestern University and after studying Spanish and history, she decided to study abroad in Buenos Aires. In college, she worked on the student newspaper (The Daily Northwestern), met people from all over the world at the Global Engagement Summit and, by her senior year, earned the title of 120-hour dancer at NU’s annual Dance Marathon. She just moved to San Francisco and is currently working on a political campaign on ocean pollution but will be teaching middle school or high school Spanish this upcoming fall and working on her teaching certificate.

by Radha Jhatakia, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

Emergency situations can arise anywhere and since they are seldom announced, college students should always be prepared for natural disasters, accidents and in-home emergencies.

Depending on what region of the country you live in, there are different natural disasters that are prone to occur including earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, blizzards and much more. For earthquakes especially, remember to hide under something sturdy or brace yourself in a doorway. For areas prone to tornadoes, there are sirens but since they often can’t be heard indoors, it may be necessary to purchase an in-home alert radio.

In instances of hurricanes and tsunamis, it is best to pack up necessities such as prescription medications, basic supplies and food right when the warning is given, then drive to a safe location as far inland as possible. Similar rules apply to blizzards as well: If you are snowed it, always make sure to have supplies in your home that can last for a long period of time. For any natural disaster, the key rule is to always make sure you have enough food and water for three days.

In addition to sustenance, make sure to have a first aid kit with band-aids, painkillers, gauze, alcohol wipes, antiseptic cream and wrap bandages – these are the basics for any minor injury and can stabilize a major injury until you can receive medical attention. Satellite radios/phones and flashlights with extra batteries are also good to have on hand at home and in your car, plus flares, jumper cables, a blanket/extra warm clothing and tools for a tire change.

A little preparedness goes a long way in an emergency. If you find yourself in any of the dangerous situations listed above, remain as calm as possible until help arrives or conditions improve.

Radha Jhatakia is a communications major at San Jose State University. She's a transfer student who had some ups and downs in school and many obstacles to face; these challenges – plus support from family, friends and cat – have only made Radha stronger and have given her the experience to help others with the same issues. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, cooking, sewing and designing. A social butterfly, Radha hopes to work in public relations and marketing upon graduation.

by Kayla Herrera, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

For many college students, spring break is an adventure, a trip down memory lane or a challenge. Spring break will take some of you on the road and this could mean a challenge for healthy eating. You may be heading somewhere warm but eating nothing or very little is not the way to fit into that bikini you packed.

Is it possible to eat healthy while you’re traveling? Sure...it just takes a little more planning. Junk food is fun on car trips, I know, but since drinking pop all the way on my trip caused me to be very nauseated later on, it’s not a bad idea to explore healthier options. Here are a few tips for on-the-road dining:

• Gas stations: When choosing a snack at a gas station, stay away from pork rinds and greasy potato chips. If you are craving salt, get a can of Pringles – they’re better than your typical bag of chips. Search for Nutri-Grain bars, Fig Newtons, trail mix and fruit snacks and pick up some chewable stomach-soothing tablets or antacids just in case you start feeling sick.
• Fast food restaurants: Subway always has pretty healthy choices but if you must eat at McDonald's or some other fast food joint, look for something with fruit. I feel better eating a fruit pie, fruit cup or oatmeal with fruit than I do consuming fries or a loaded burger. Salads are also a good option depending on where you go: Wendy's has great salad selections and even a decent baked potato.
• Snacks in the car: Bring a cooler and pack it with water bottles, apples, sandwiches and other foods that will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Though I do not condone unsafe driving, I can tell you it’s very easy to eat an apple as you cruise if you must drive and eat at the same time.

In addition to being a Scholarships.com virtual intern, Michigan Tech student Kayla Herrera is a media coordinator for the Michigan Tech Youth Programs and is a writer for The Daily News in Iron Mountain, Mich., Examiner.com and WHOA Magazine. She love a tantalizing, action-packed video game and can't get enough of horror movies (Stephen King's books always have her in their grip, though she prefers the old over the new). Writing is what she has always done, and that is what she is here to do.

by Jessica Seals, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

It’s Tuesday afternoon and you just finished your last class for the day before heading off to club meetings, work, and finishing up two big papers. As you realize just how full your schedule is, you remember that you forgot to include time to eat and, given your time crunch, you decide to grab a quick burger for lunch and some chips to snack on later. As a college student, this scenario probably seems very familiar: We have so many different things going on in our lives that we struggle to make time for healthy meals. Although eating fast food occasionally will not cause you much harm, you will eventually notice changes in your body and mood if you eat it each day – in college and beyond.

Although the infamous ‘freshman 15’ still causes concern for college students, many continue to rely on fast foods. During my freshman year of college, I was more than excited to learn that our campus dining halls featured a few popular fast food restaurants but after eating these foods without including any fruits or vegetables in my diet, I noticed a big change in my mood. I have a high metabolism so gaining weight didn’t worry me but I was concerned about my lower energy level – I always felt too tired to do anything, even after I had just eaten and I could not focus on reading assignments or writing papers. At that time, I realized that it was time to make a change.

I knew that I could not give up fast food completely, but I did start keeping fruit in my dorm room or eating salads instead of burgers. When I went to restaurants, I opted for healthier choices and slowly but surely, my energy level returned to normal. My advice to even the busiest college students? Make room for healthy foods. Your schedule may be packed but you’ll be able to get through it much easier when you have more energy!

Jessica Seals is recent graduate of the University of Memphis, where she majored in political science and minored in English. She was the secretary of the Pre-Law Society, the philanthropy chair of the Phi Kappa Phi Student Council and a member of Professional Assertive United Sisters of Excellence (PAUSE), Golden Key Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society and Black Scholars Unlimited. As she prepares for law school, Jessica will continue to tutor and volunteer in her community.

by Angela Andaloro, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

The last few weeks of the fall semester are a stressful time with finals, travel and the holidays to handle but you survived – congratulations! You may have made it into 2012 in one piece but your checking account may not be so lucky. The good news is that there are many ways for college students to save money and make living on a tight budget feel downright comfortable.

Discover discounts. You would be surprised at how many restaurants, clothing stores, hair salons and other businesses have special offers for students! Even some cell phone carriers offer student discounts, which is perfect for the college student who can’t live without his or her phone.

Plan ahead. Mapping out your week – specifically planning your meals – will help you save a lot of money: Stopping at convenience stores and fast food restaurants for snacks adds up fast!

Get a Student Advantage Card.. For $20 a year, the Student Advantage Card gets you extra discounts of up to 25% at a variety of retailers including textbook rental sites and movie theaters.

Enjoy student perks. You can often get free pens and USB drives from companies visiting campus for career fairs. Speaking of campus events, they are often stocked with free food and other swag – what’s better than getting to meet new people and grabbing a bite at no cost? If you can’t make it but still want to take advantage of gratis goods, grab your smartphone or comp to snatch up some samples of your favorite products from sites like SampleStuff.com.

Saving money in college is very important but we would also like to have money to do the things we want. These tips will get you on track to having a few extra bucks when you need them and learn valuable money management skills for your future.

Angela Andaloro is a junior at Pace University’s New York City campus, where she is double majoring in communication studies and English. Like most things in New York City, her life and college experience is far from typical – she commutes to school from her home in Flushing and took nearly a semester’s worth of classes online – but she still likes to hang out with friends, go to parties and feed her social networking addiction like your “average” college student.

Adjusting to life in college can take some time but once you’ve mastered the campus layout, course catalog and dining options, will you be ready for the world beyond those hallowed halls? Many students are not but the skills taught in a pair of programs at Smith College could change that.

The women’s college in Northampton, Mass., launched two programs – “Passport to Life at Smith” and “Passport to Life After Smith” – to address what students need to succeed on and off campus and since their debut in 2010, hundreds of students at various stages in their college careers have signed up. From being more assertive in class and emailing professors appropriately to acing job interviews and changing tires (and looking cool in the process), the courses offer tips every student would find helpful, not just Smith’s female student population. “These are skills that any college student would benefit from,” said Jessica Bacal, director of Smith’s Center for Work and Life and the creator of the workshop series. “Just cause you’re a guy it doesn’t mean you’re going to go into a meeting and feel really comfortable giving your opinion even though it’s different from someone else’s opinion.”

If there are any Smithies in the audience, we’d love to hear your firsthand experiences with these programs. To everyone else, what do you think of colleges teaching courses that go beyond traditional classroom offerings? Would you take one or do you feel real-life experience is preparation enough?

by Lisa Lowdermilk, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

Even though there are all kinds of clubs and extracurriculars to get involved with in college (just take a look at all the unusual ones available), sometimes your school may not have the one you're looking for. When this happens, sites like MeetUp, MEETin and Twitter are perfect for meeting people in your area who share your interests.

MeetUp is extremely user-friendly: Simply type in an activity you're interested in along with your city or zip code and watch as all the clubs near you come up! There are clubs for people who want to learn foreign languages, go rock climbing, try new restaurants, learn martial arts, combat social anxiety and much more. Most clubs do not require membership fees, but the ones that do will let you know right up front.

MEETin is similar to MeetUp and is well-known for being the "largest friends social group [site] in the world." MEETin is specifically designed for people who want to meet others without the stress of business networking, so rest assured that you'll be in good company if you just want to make new friends. Just like MeetUp, there's no membership fee and anyone is free to suggest an event.

For all you Twitter fans out there, "tweetups" are an option as well. Due to Twitter's 140-character limit (disregarding the Stories function), the microblogging service may seem like the least formal and structured option of the three but tweetups are great for those times when you just want to meet up at the spur of the moment.

Regardless of what option you choose, know that there are people out there who like the same things you do and want to meet others that share those interests. I know firsthand how scary it can be going to a meetup with people you've never met but once you do it a few times, it gets easier – I promise. And who knows? You may end up making new friends you never would have met otherwise!

Lisa Lowdermilk is a soon-to-be published author (her first novel is a murder mystery for young adults set in the future), an avid video gamer and an artist. She enjoys watching thrillers, trying different restaurants and attempting to breakdance. Lisa completed her Associate of Arts degree entirely online and is now majoring in professional writing at the University of Colorado Denver.

by Katie Askew, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

Graduating from freshman dorm life to sophomore apartment living has had its pros and cons. Although I gained more freedom, I lost luxuries like free laundry, a professionally-cleaned bathroom and meals made by a chef. My housing choice meant more financial responsibility – something I realized when I stepped into the grocery store for the first time as an apartment dweller. To keep my spending (and yours!) in check, I created a short list of tips for a college student’s first few trips to the grocery store.

Don’t shop hungry. I’m sure you’ve heard this before but it’s true: When I’m full, I focus only on the foods that are only on my list and I save a ton of money by avoiding impulse buys like giant jars of Nutella.

Plan a weekly menu and take a list. Decide what you’re going to eat on a weekly basis and create a grocery list that reflects this. Keep staples like bread, eggs, cereal and milk in mind but if you want to maintain a budget, it’s important to not stray from your list. If you need recipes for quick dinners, check out sites like Kraft or All Recipes: Just type in what ingredients you have and a meal will be generated for you!

Set a time limit. Saying you only have X minutes to shop will keep you focused on what you need, not what you want. This will also save time for homework or something fun later.

Find coupons. Purchasing a real Sunday newspaper is an excellent investment: Not only can you catch up on the news but you also gain access to lots of great coupons from local grocery stores. Dedicated coupon sites like CoolSavings or SmartSource are also helpful because they find deals based on your zip code.

I’m not saying you can’t splurge every now and then – after a rough week, ice cream is a necessity! – but by living like a student now, you won’t have to later in life!

Katie Askew is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota pursuing degrees in journalism and English. At school, Katie can be found reading, drumming or working in the Office of Admissions. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling, teaching and performing music and spending time outdoors with friends and family. Katie loves all things zebra and has a necessary addiction to coffee. Her iPod is perpetually playing Death Cab for Cutie or classical music because she truly believes that when words fail, music speaks.

by Radha Jhatakia, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

The holiday season has arrived. We see decorations up everywhere and sales for the things we’ve coveted all year. We go to parties, have feasts of delicious holiday food and exchange gifts. It’s all very beautiful and spirited but there is a very realistic part of the holiday season that often gets overlooked.

When you pass by those beautiful decorations, how many of you notice there are people sitting on the sidewalk, not because they’re tired of shopping but because that is where they live? When you are at the register spending hundreds on gifts, how many think about those who barely have money to eat? I think ‘tis the season we college students start thinking of others!

With the current state of the economy, many people are unable to celebrate the holidays the way they would like so let’s spread our good fortune to those who don’t have as much. Most college students have an entire month off from school between semesters so do some good during that time! Here are a few ideas:

• Volunteer at a soup kitchen or shelter. These organizations are often short staffed during the holidays because of the amount of people that go in so they will be grateful for any time you can spare.
• Organize a food drive and then help deliver the goods. You can also look into working with a charity that distributes food baskets for those who aren’t homeless but can’t afford holiday meals.
• Give a gift to someone less fortunate if you can. Community centers set up toy drives during the holidays and some schools even have “Letters to Santa” programs where needy students share their holiday wish lists.

Making someone’s holiday even a little bit happier is easier than you think. All it takes is a bit of time and effort to give someone else the joy you are blessed to have.

Radha Jhatakia is a communications major at San Jose State University. She's a transfer student who had some ups and downs in school and many obstacles to face; these challenges – plus support from family, friends and cat – have only made Radha stronger and have given her the experience to help others with the same issues. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, cooking, sewing and designing. A social butterfly, Radha hopes to work in public relations and marketing upon graduation.

by Kara Coleman, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and for many of us college students, that means gaining a little bit of weight from eating holiday treats...and, of course, vowing to drop said weight in January. If you don’t want the additional cost of a gym membership, don’t sweat it: You can do a complete workout in your dorm room – no equipment required!

Stretching. It’s always good to begin your workout by stretching. Lock your fingers together, inhale and raise your arms as high as they will go. Release and exhale as you lower your arms. Bend down and stretch to touch your toes then return to standing. Bending at the waist this time, lean over towards your right side, then your left.

Cardio. The goal here is to get your heart rate up. Jog in place, then run in place. Do jumping jacks. Repeat.

Strengthening/Toning. Sit-ups work your back and abs. Push-ups work your arms. Try tabletops: Lay on the floor as if you were preparing to do push-ups, but rather than palm the floor, support yourself with your forearms. Push up, then hold yourself in that position as long as you can. Slowly lower yourself to the floor, lay on your back and begin bicycle pedaling in the air. Raise your legs straight up, stretch for your toes and hold that that position as long as you can.

Cool down. Sit up with your legs extended straight in front of you and stretch forward to touch your toes. Repeat any or all of the stretches you did at the beginning of your workout.

Remember, this is just a basic workout routine to help you get started. Look online for more equipment-free exercises and switch up your workouts from day to day so you don’t plateau. If you want to exercise using weights, consider using some of those heavy textbooks!

This summer, Kara Coleman graduated from Gadsden State Community College with an Associate of Arts degree. She is currently studying communications with concentration in print journalism at Jacksonville State University Kara's writing has been featured in Teen Ink magazine and she is a children's author through Big Dif Books.