It seems like it doesn’t matter how hard you study or how many hours you work; someone will always think it wasn’t enough.

With constant evaluations of status and accomplishments, it’s hard to believe that we can even focus on schoolwork.

Why do we spend so much time trying to please others and whom are we trying to measure up to?

Although today’s college students are less influenced by what they see on television or social media, many of them are still struggling to achieve the idea of “beauty” that has been brainwashing the masses since Mattel’s Barbie was introduced in 1959.

No use trying to achieve Barbie’s measurements. When converted to human size, you would have to wear a neck brace and there would only be enough room within the 16” waist for a portion of your vital organs.

Even if you are lucky enough to be comfortable in your own body and are blessed with the self esteem to strut your human sized body to class, there is no shortage of predators waiting to pounce all over your confidence.

Upon entering NECC as a 39 year old freshman, I didn’t know what to expect or if I, “Queen of the Bimbos” according to my brother, was even capable of getting a college degree.

Well, here I am: just six credits away from graduation, and feeling so proud of myself, only to have a family member say to me “It’s too bad you couldn’t transfer to Merrimack College on the last day of school, so you could have the name of a fancier school on your Diploma.”

Talk about a confidence killer! I guess some people don’t see community college as an acceptable level of accomplishment and choose not to celebrate what they consider to be mediocrity. What, fat shaming isn’t enough? Now we have to be subjected to college shaming.

If homework wasn’t enough to keep them busy, most NECC students hold jobs as well as keeping a full course load. Furthermore, many students are full-time parents who must endure their toughest critics, their children who will most likely grow up and tell them that they failed at parenting.

Speaking of parents, how many of us have heard our parents ask, “Where did I go wrong?” Parents seem to have a great talent for making themselves out to be the victim of our life choices. As if we live our lives for the sole purpose of embarrassing and torturing them.

Some of us have families with impossible standards for us to try to live up to and it is sometimes unfortunate that we cannot choose our families the way we can choose our significant other. However, we can control the time (if any) we spend in their environment.

Well, it’s time we stop this soul-crushing cycle of trying to achieve the goals that others have set for us.

The truth is no matter how hard you try, there will always be someone who thinks that you need to work harder, make more money or look prettier. There will always be people who don’t approve of your lifestyle, the car you drive or the article that you wrote.

Having the power to rise above the negativity will strengthen your tolerance for the future naysayers that you are bound to meet.

It doesn’t matter what you look like, whom you choose to love, which college you attend or what your major is.

We all have a purpose on this planet, whether it is to be a teacher, a nurse, an artist or a professional critic. We are all important.

Although it can be nice to get kudos from another person, setting and achieving your own personal goals will give you all the confidence and validation you need.

Although NECC campuses have been coated with fresh snow on this first week of April, students can’t deny that one of the best parts about spring is shopping for a new wardrobe. With loans breathing down your neck, and a long list of other expenses, this might be a great time to start being frugal. Buying clothing from a thrift shop will not only save you money, it just might help to save the planet.

Another common ritual to participate in is spring cleaning. This is where you can make a huge leap toward environmental awareness. The old saying goes, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” Unfortunately, many of us are still throwing recyclable items (especially clothing) in the trash.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generate more than 2 million tons of trash each year, and the shocking truth is that more than 1/3 of the items that end up in landfills could have been recycled.

Resale stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army have become abundant and increasingly popular in the Merrimack Valley and surrounding areas. Although most of the goods are collected from donation receptacles that have been placed in the parking lots of various shopping plazas and churches, some stores such as Savers in Plaistow, N.H. have a community donation center located within the same building.

If donating your items wasn’t enough to make you feel good, many of these two-in-one locations offer a store credit as incentive for your good deed. However, if you feel that your unwanted clothing is worth too much to you to be tossed into a receptacle behind Market Basket, you can try to sell your gently worn clothing at a consignment shop.

Most consignment shops welcome sellers by appointment for an initial evaluation and pricing of their goods. If and when your are items are sold, the store will disburse your payment. A small commission is usually taken by the store. Think of it as paying your share of the rent for keeping your clothes there.

BloomingDeals in Salem, N.H. is one the area’s more upscale, resale stores carrying everything from designer purses to seasonal items, such as prom dresses and Halloween costumes. Proprietors Patti Rappoli and Sara Rapolli-Vienneau are constantly receiving new merchandise and re-organizing the store to make it fun and inviting. In fact, I was able to get my mother a mother-of-the-bride dress at BloomingDeals for $40 and it was prettier than the $200 dresses at the mall.

Since the 2012 release of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop,” college students have been less reluctant to be seen in a secondhand store. Actually, it’s kind of where the “cool kids” shop nowadays. Sure, there is an ongoing argument about the true meaning of “pop some tags.” Some believe it is a slang term for shoplifting. Others say it simply means to go clothes shopping and that the satisfaction of “popping” the tags off is one of most exciting aspects of the shopping experience.

In all honesty, most of the clothes I own were either handed down by my sister or found on the

clearance rack of a department store. I have never been into brand names or trendy styles; I mean, I wouldn’t even know the difference between a Leo diamond and cubic zirconium from Walmart, but I have only recently begun to visit thrift shops to scope out more unique and bargain priced items. If you have the time to browse, it can definitely be worth the trip.

As a starving artist who has always had one combat boot firmly planted in 1988, I have definitely visited my share of pawn shops in search of  search of cheap guitars and amplifiers. I used to snag some pretty sweet deals back in the day, but that was before the pawn brokers became internet savvy. Now they can easily find out how much they can get for that vintage distortion pedal.

With spring break out of the way, NECC is on a fast track to the end of the semester and the graduating class of 2016 may be faced with the grueling task of preparing themselves for job interviews.
A college degree and a new pair of shoes is great place to start, but sometimes you have to be the cutest puppy in the basket to be chosen from an endless sea of prospects. I don’t mean that you have to have perfect skin or be physically fit, but you’re going to need charm and it definitely won’t hurt to brush up on your social skills. And for goodness’ sake, SMILE!
I know that a genuine smile can be difficult to conjure up nowadays, especially with all that is going on in the world and your own personal obstacles, but a smile, no matter how big or small, can be contagious and can leave a great first impression on a potential employer. A firm handshake and lots of eye contact will get you even further toward that second interview.
Believe it or not, the person who reads your resume will probably do a background check on you and more than likely try to snoop around in your Facebook posts and pictures. So, you may want to reconsider some of those spring break selfies you uploaded. If you have friends that insist on repeatedly tagging you in a “keg-stand” photo from two years ago, it may be time to clean up your “friends list” or explain to them that you are trying to land a job and would appreciate their cooperation in maintaining a new level of professionalism.
Being connected is a great way to keep in touch with family, friends and co-workers. Additionally, email and social media is user friendly even for those who are extremely shy or tend to experience social anxiety. However, the keyboard can be a dangerous tool that can ultimately hurt you and your career. Many times, we are quick to type things we would never say to someone’s face and we have to ask ourselves: has social media completely abolished social grace?
I remember getting ready for my very first job interview and my mother saying, ”Remember, if you don’t have anything nice to say… don’t say anything at all.” I guess a more current rule of thumb would be to never email anything that you wouldn’t want your boss to read.
Although it seems normal to see an electronic device in the hands of, well, pretty much everyone on the planet, leaving your phone in the car will impress the interviewer and help you focus on your surroundings, especially if you know that you have a hard time resisting the urge to text or surf the Web.
Not to be confused with “FaceTime” the app, the art of face-to-face conversation is one that is truly becoming lost. Nevertheless, it is a requirement in much of the corporate world. A modern interview is not simply a collection of closed-ended questions that can be answered with a monotone “yup” or “nope” but a series of verbal essay questions. So, don’t be surprised if the interviewer says “tell me about a time that you went above and beyond the call of duty at your previous job.”
For more sample interview questions, you can visit www.best-job-interview.com.
Employees who possess interpersonal skills are primed and ready to be promoted to leadership positions, which will lead to financial growth and a successful future.
Isn’t that why you came to college in the first place?