Email Inbox Etiquette

An email inbox can be overwhelming. Especially in the generation of text messages and tweets, answering emails can seem very time consuming. As an aspiring PR professional, realize you will be relying on email a lot. Winter break is a great time to get organized and catch up!

Although email is a great tool, it can also be a downfall when it is disorganized. During past internships, the number of emails I received in just one hour was intimidating. Here are a few times to keep your inbox organized and to keep yourself sane:

Keep it as unread – If you don't want to read the whole email now, save it for later. Most of the time I am in such a hurry to clean up my inbox I click through emails without reading the whole thing. Instead of skimming through emails, keep it flagged for a little later when you have the time and patience. 

Check your junk mail folder – You never know what is in there until you check it! Try to check it once every day to make sure aren't missing an important message. 

Organize by subject – Creating folders for my inbox was such a lifesaver. If you have a lot of unread notes, organize by subject or sender to get through the important stuff first.

How do you organize your inbox? Let us know!

Make the Most of Your Winter Break

The countdown has officially begun (26 days!) to the end of the semester.  No more tests, no more 8 a.m. classes, and no more homework keeping us up all night. Winter break is right around the corner and everyone is looking forward to a couple weeks of rest and relaxation.

Between the snowball fights, holiday meals, and movie marathons, it's easy to forget that school breaks are the perfect opportunity to better yourself, personally and professionally. You finally have the free time you wanted all semester and you might as well do something productive with it, right?

I don't mean that you finally get around to organizing your sock drawer or delving into a marathon of that show you've been meaning to catch up on. Winter break is the ideal time to be proactive.  Here are a few suggestions:

• Read a book: This is something you can finally do without interruption!
  
• Do a job shadow: Even one day of a job shadow can be beneficial, and it will be a great talking point in an interview for spring.
  
• Volunteer: The holidays are the perfect time to help others.
  
• Hit the gym: No excuses now! You have the time and deep down you have the motivation too.

What are you most looking forward to doing over break? We'd love to hear from you!

The Holidays Aren’t Here Yet, Stay Focused!

When winter break is right around the corner, it is often hard to stay focused at school. As the holidays approach it seems that stress levels increase dramatically. It is really difficult to adjust from spending time at home and trying to get back into the groove of things at school. You may be feeling like you want to skip finals altogether and pack up to go right back home (or at least I do!).

Fear not! Here are some useful tips on how to maintain your focus and preparing yourself for the last few weeks of the semester:

-          Prioritize: make a “to-do” list of work and tasks that need to be completed before the big break.

-          Plan: figure out what topics you need to focus on for each study day, or “free” day, your college gives you.

-          Stock Up: make sure to buy note cards and highlighters for those long days and nights in the library. Don’t forget to also purchase some study snacks that are high in protein and fiber. 

-          Study Buddies: ask classmates or friends if they would want to be a part of a study group and create a study guide together.

-          Decorate: help realize some finals week stress by decorating your dorm, apartment or house for the holidays.  It can’t hurt!

-          Write It Down: Write reminders for yourself in your planner or on post-its, otherwise they may get lost in the shuffle.

How do you stay focused with the holidays right around the corner?