The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to think about internships and setting goals. If you’ve been on the fence about applying for an internship, we recommend that you go for it. We’ve all been college students ourselves and understand how important internships are in the scheme of things.

Hopefully the following thoughts will help you make your decision ASAP:

• Nothing beats real world experience. It’s vital to realize how competitive the world is right now. Because of the challenged economy and increasing unemployment rate throughout the US, it is extremely important that you have a competitive edge. Internships reveal your dedication to your future career and provide invaluable real world experience.
• Job opportunities after graduation. It has been said time and time again that “it’s who you know” that makes a difference when finding a job. Many times companies hire their interns because they know what to expect from them. If you work hard, you may get a job offer!
• Gaining confidence and finding your true calling. Internships will give you a jump on figuring out what you want to do with your career. This puts you ten steps ahead after graduation. You’ll be amazed at how much confidence you’ll gain by working with great minds…and learning invaluable skills in the process.

Applying for an internship is pretty straight forward. All you have to do is find the company/companies you’re interested in and either e-mail or call their headquarters for details. Most of the time, you’ll find that a company receptionist can steer you in the right direction over the phone. Many companies post internships on their job boards, so you can check those out in your discovery process.

You also may want to check to see if your college has a career resource center that can help. It’s quite common for colleges to have hook-ups with local companies. The great thing about this approach is that your guidance counselor can serve as your reference and fast-track the process.

Once you begin an internship, remember that each and every second is precious. Work hard and in the end you may end up with a great job!

We’d love to hear your interning stories or advice. Share away on our Facebook wall…

http://www.facebook.com/valorebooks

Have you found yourself a bit lonely at times as you attempt to get used to college life? It’s never fun to be the kid sitting alone at lunch or passing time alone in your dorm room on weekends reading the Harry Potter series for the 10^th time.  We human beings are curious creatures who crave connection with others – thus we dare you to take action.

In the case that you want to gain more friends, the following ideas may help:

• Know & accept yourself. It’s important that you really understand what makes you tick – what inspires you to be happy. The beauty of moving beyond high school is that everyone is on an even playing field in college. You now have the chance to meet people who have similar interests and reveal to them what an amazing being you are. Stay true to yourself, be bold and the rest will follow!
• Lend a helping hand. Reach out to your fellow college students in an effort to help them with their studies, carry things up the stairs, find their classes, etc. When you give your time, you’ll gain a lot in return. Plus, these moments give you time to ask questions and get to know lots of great people. You can maybe even invite those you help to have some lunch.
• Listening Rules! Become a great listener, instead of a babbler. Listening to others and showing you care goes a long way. Of course you should speak as well, but just keep in mind that good listeners tend to build numerous friendships that last a lifetime.
• Stay 100 yards away from gossip. Don’t get caught up in petty gossip. Your high school days are over…now is the time for drama free living. When your friends start gossiping, run the opposite way or change the subject to something more positive. A gossiper is rarely trusted or admired on campus.
• Join a club or group. College life offers so many opportunities for students with all sorts of interests. One of the best ways to get to know good people is to connect with them in a constructive setting. No matter what your interest – be it art, music, politics, literature, sports or debate – there’s bound to be something for you.

According to bestselling author and motivator Dale Carnegie in his book How to Win Friends & Influence People, there are six ways to make people connect with you. We’ll leave you with these, and wish you a great day:

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person’s interest.
6. Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.

Feel free to share your ideas for making friends on our Facebook wall. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The school year has officially begun for many of you, and you’re probably already realizing that you need to carefully manage your funds. Let’s get real. It is oh so easy to be inspired to go out regularly, buy new techie gadgets and find other creative ways to spend money like it’s going out of style.

The following are a handful of ideas for saving cash - and if you have any additional ideas, feel free to add your two cents.

1. Eat at home or make lunches. It may sound a bit boring and somewhat of a hassle to make your meals at home, but you will be amazed at how much you save. This includes regular Starbucks runs. Dare yourself to make your own coffee and bring it in a thermos. To see how much you’ll save, go through your last bank statement and add up how much you spent on eating out.

2. Purchase Used Books. Why spend two to three times as much for a new college textbook? You can find used books that have barely been touched. As you can imagine, some students were well intentioned when they planned to read through their textbooks and instead used them as bookshelf decorations. Valore Books can save you up to 90% on your books!!

3. Reduce Your Cell Phone Plan. Cell phone bills can be astronomical, no doubt. You can revolt by cutting your cell plan and using Skype or other similar technologies. Did you know that you can enjoy unlimited phone calls within the US on Skype for only $2.99 per month? Or better yet, make unlimited calls internationally for around $15 bucks? It’s a great idea to use Skype when at home and your cell when you’re out and about.

4. Limit Yourself to a Set Amount of Cash Per Week. Make a trip to the bank and take out a limited amount of cash. Put the cash in your wallet, and then put your debit/credit cards away in your sock drawer. When you run out of cash, you’re out of cash! Holding cash in your hands makes you much more aware of the value of a dollar.

5. Discover FREE Activities. There are all sorts of free stuff going on and activities to engage in. No matter where you live, you can probably enjoy great hiking spots, fun places to ride your bike, public tennis courts, beaches & lakes and more. Additionally, as a college student, you can take advantage of free sporting events, art exhibits, concerts, poetry readings and clubs on campus. Don’t miss out!

These are just a handful of ideas on cutting down your cost of living throughout the month. We’d love to hear your ideas as well. How do you cut expenses? Share away!

Save up to 90% on your textbooks this semester! If you spend a little time and effort comparing textbook prices you can save thousands of dollars during your college career. Yea, I just said thousands of dollars!

In a recent study, college students spent an average of $1,000 a year on textbooks! That equals to $4,000 in textbooks just to get your 4 year degree! With a little work you could easily cut that in half.

The first question to ask yourself: Do you really need to buy the textbook? It is worth while to see what books are available in your schools’ library, which texts are available online and if you can share a textbook with a friend.

The second question to ask yourself: How much does the book cost? If you need to buy the textbook, the most affordable option is to buy online. It is worth while to obtain the ISBNs of the textbooks that you need. Once you do so, it is beneficial to check out an online marketplace like ValoreBooks.com. ValoreBooks.com has some of the cheapest textbooks on the internet. Prices on ValoreBooks are so low because we have over 6,000 booksellers on our website that compete for your business.

Once you have checked out how much your textbook will cost on ValoreBooks.com, you should check out the price at your school bookstore.

After you compare your schools price with the price on ValoreBooks.com, it is time to make your decision. Your decision should be based on a couple of factors, such as the price and the specific date you need your textbook. If you choose priority mail for your textbook, it will take 2-5 business days to arrive. So if you can wait 2-5 days for your textbook to arrive – shopping online is your best bet. If you are unable to wait a couple of days for your book to arrive, you can share a book with a friend for a week, or borrow one from the library until your book arrives.

If you choose to buy online at ValoreBooks.com, we have a few tips to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for, as quickly as possible.

1. Search by ISBN
   There are many variations of each textbook, and searching by ISBN will give you exactly what you need. If you do not have an ISBN, you can search by title and author.
2. Look at the book comments
   Marketplace sellers list detailed descriptions of their textbooks. This is very helpful when looking to purchase a used textbook. Sellers will note if the used textbook has highlighting, notes, cover wear, software included, etc. View the book comments so you know exactly what you are getting.
3. Look at the book condition
   The majority of textbooks and books on our site are used. If you do not need a new textbook, we suggest to save money and purchase a cheap used textbook. Our Marketplace sellers offer millions of used textbooks and books at significantly reduced prices.
4. Choose Priority Mail
   Priority mail is only $3.00 more than media mail and you will receive your books much faster than media mail. All college students that have a time restraint should purchase their textbooks with priority mail.
5. Buy from a reliable seller
   Click on the Marketplace sellers name to view their feedback from past customers, as well as their confirmation ratings. Buying from a Marketplace seller who has been rated highly by other customers will ensure that your book buying experience will be a positive one.
6. Contact the seller with any questions
   You may contact your seller before you purchase your books to ask them any questions that are relevant to your order. You may also contact your seller after your item has been shipped to ask for tracking information. Please allow sellers up to 48 business hours (excluding weekends and holidays) to respond to inquiries.
7. Contact us if any issues arise
   If you have any questions about your order, or any issues arise, please use our Customer Service Center where we have many frequently asked questions. If you can’t find an answer, you can contact us from our Customer Service Center as well.
8. Allow emails from ValoreBooks.com
   Add emails from ValoreBooks.com to your Safe-Sender List or Address book to ensure delivery. Many new e-mail accounts have spam filters that will filter out unrecognized e-mail. Please allow your system to receive e-mails from ValoreBooks.com. We will send out important notifications regarding your order.
9. Leave Feedback
   It is important that all customers leave feedback regarding their purchase. This will help better serve our ValoreBooks.com customers and let them know what type of experience to expect when buying from a specific seller.

Be smart this semester and make an informed decision when buying your textbooks!