Like many areas in life, good communication is vital to success in the world of business. When a company communicates efficiently it can increase productivity, streamline work processes, and keep everyone on the same page at all times. Despite this, it can actually be challenging to communicate effectively in the workplace in today's day and age because businesses are often large, varied and spread out. Poor communication can lead to a wide range of issues so it is important that a business owner knows ways in which they can improve communication. There are a few highly effective strategies that can help you to achieve this - read on to find out more.

Lead By Example

First, it is important that you lead by example because employees will often follow their superior’s approach to work. This means that you should be forthcoming when it comes to communication and show an interest in each staff member. Having an open-door policy and providing regular, honest positive feedback will set the right example.

Team Building

It is much easier to communicate when you have a team-based mentality in the workplace. This means that team-building exercises and activities are highly important for improving communication and developing positive working relationships. This does not necessarily have to in-volve organized team building activities (although these can be effective) as informal social occasions can help people to bond in a natural setting.

Be Consistent

Being consistent when it comes to communication will keep the operation smooth and successful. It will involve having a set way of communicating with the team, such as using a particular messaging service. This will also make it easier to keep track of communication and keep people on the same page.

Automate Digital Messaging

You can also improve internal communications by automating digital communication through text, email, and voice messaging. Internal communication solutions like the ones provided by Boomerang Messaging can be highly effective at streamlining everyday communication processes in the workplace.

Keep Staff Informed

Part of building a team-based mentality will be keeping employees informed on everything related to the business - an internal newsletter is an effective way to do this. This avoids an “us and them” feeling between management and staff and will help to keep everyone in the loop. Additionally, you should encourage staff members to come forward with feedback, ideas, and thoughts which could help the business.

Allow Time For Breaks & Socialising

Communication breakdowns occur when staff members are tired, stressed, and overworked. It is for this reason why you must encourage staff to take regular breaks and to spend time together on these breaks as this can help to improve communication and build relationships. This means that you need to have a well-equipped break room where staff can relax, recharge their batteries and spend time together.

If you are looking to improve communication within your business, then these are the most effective strategies to implement. You should quickly see results which, in turn, will then help your business to flourish.

The American Universities still hold a highly integral position when it comes to the academic excellence they offer. A majority of students enrolled in US colleges are from other countries. The study conducted in 2017 states that among the overall college enrollment rate, 65 percent are Asians.

These numbers are only expected to grow in the years to come. Even though English is considered a foreign language in Asian countries, the majority of residents are fluent in the language. This makes the US more appealing.

Many Asians who find the language a bit difficult often tap in the search bar something like pay someone to write my essay to deal with the academic load. There are professional services helping learners complete all kinds of assignments.

With the availability of such resources, many youngsters are inspired to seek education abroad. This flow of international applicants has encouraged many American universities to come up with special fellowships and programs for Asian students to enroll in their institutions.

If you are looking for such opportunities, here are a few to choose from.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

The Fulbright fellowships are offered in 160 countries across the world. Under this program, approximately 4000 candidates receive scholarships to study or do research in the United States every year.

Administered by Fulbright foundations and US Embassies, international students from all applicable countries, including several Asian ones, are eligible to apply with requirements varying depending on the state.

American Association of University Women

The AAUW fellowships were initially designed for Latin American women. Later, they were extended to all international applicants looking to do undergraduate or graduate programs in America.

The association offers international fellowships for women who are not permanent residents or citizens of the U.S. The scholarships are awarded for research or full-time programs. The program is supported by several famous institutions in the US, including Harvard University.

Shardashish Interschool Fellowship

The Shardashish Interschool Fellowship program is offered at Columbia University in cooperation with the UNM Foundation in India. The fellowship aims at making the best quality of educational opportunities available for students who are financially restrained yet committed to developing the future of India.

Preference is given to candidates who have been admitted for a master's program at Columbia University. The maximum amount a student can receive is $50,000 a year that could be used for both fees and tuition.

Boustany Foundation Harvard MBA

Boustany MBA Harvard Scholarship is offered once every two years for the MBA program at Harvard Business School. Students of all nationalities with an excellent academic background are eligible to apply. Applicants of Lebanese descent are given priority for the scholarship. It includes financial aid of up to $47,000 a year for tuition fees and other expenses like travel and accommodation.

AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship

The American University Emerging Global Leader Scholarship program promotes access to education while encouraging diversity. The fellowship is offered to one international student every year who would require a visa to study in the US. It covers the billable expenses such as tuition and accommodation.

This scholarship is renewable for four years of the undergraduate program if the candidate continues to show satisfactory performance.

Ohio State University Scholarships

Ohio State University offers a scholarship for students from both Southeast Asia and China who have completed their Bachelor of Laws undergraduate program in the mentioned region. Candidates who received a degree from Southeast Asian countries would receive 40%, whereas those who obtained degrees in China would receive a 50% waver in their tuition fees.

The scholarship aims at supporting students with an excellent academic track record, community service, and leadership qualities.

Mork Family Scholarship

The Mork Family Scholarship is available for international applicants from the University of Southern California undergraduates. It offers aid on full tuition for four years with an additional amount of $5000 as living stipend every year.

The scholarship is awarded to 10 highest achieving students every year selected by the USC faculties after an interview.

Global Spartan Leadership Program

The Global Spartan Leadership Program is offered by Michigan State University for international undergraduate students to prepare them to achieve leadership skills and understand the responsibilities of being a global citizen. Candidates receive training on cultural events, projects and are also granted a scholarship of $8000 upon successful completion of the program.

Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowships

The Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowships was created by reliance industries and Stanford Graduate School of Business for Indian students who receive the opportunity to study at the institution. Every year up to 5 fellowships are offered.

They cover the cost of tuition and any other associated fees. Candidates are expected to return to India to make contributions in the country working at a national organization within two years after completing the program.

Toshizo Watanabe Endowed Scholarship

The Toshizo Watanabe Endowed Scholarship Fund offers support to undergraduate and graduate students from Japan who require financial aid. The scholarship will provide the full cost of the tuition fees. The Program is available for both Japanese students studying in the US and American students wanting to study in Japan.

Final Words

There are many other options available for Asian students from other American universities as well. As more students are choosing to study in the United States, one can also expect a rise in the number of scholarships offered.

If you are applying, do not forget to look in the scholarship section of your favored universities to find more about the available programs.

To be successful in your career will require you to work hard and go above and beyond in your professional life. There’s a lot of competition out there, and it’s not always easy to get noticed on the job.

Be glad to know there are steps you can take that will help you to create a brighter future for yourself. Put your mind to it, and it won’t be long before you’re witnessing results from your efforts and surpassing those around you. What’s most important is that you don’t get discouraged and understand that finding success is a continuous journey and may take some time.

Set Goals

A wise place to start if you want to be more successful in your career is to set goals for what it is you wish to achieve. Otherwise, you risk not having any idea of where you’re heading and falling off track and eventually losing your way. Be specific with your objectives such as determining how much money you want to be making going forward or which promotion you want to go after in the near future. Review your goals often and keep them in mind, so you know what it is you’re working toward each and every day you head into work.

Advance Your Knowledge & Skills

You can also be more successful in your career by committing to advancing your knowledge and skills. There are many ways to do this including going back to school and getting your masters degree. For example, if you’re an engineer with a busy schedule, then you may want to consider a masters in civil engineering online from Michigan Technological University so you can make your dreams a reality. The more knowledge you have in your area of expertise the more attractive of an employee you’re going to be to those who are hiring for positions in your field.

Get on the Same Page as Your Boss

Sometimes all it takes to be successful in your career is to have a serious conversation with your boss about what it is you wish to accomplish. Get on the same page as your superior by having regular check-ins with him or her and consistently going over your goals. It’s possible they’ll have further insight as to what you should be working on to develop your skills and what you need to be doing so you’re a more attractive candidate for any upcoming promotions. Be open and honest and let them in on what you feel is holding you back so they can offer you sound advice about how to best proceed.

Demonstrate Leadership Abilities

If you want to be more successful in your career, then it’s necessary to be able to demonstrate leadership abilities. Moving up in your career will require you to delegate tasks to others and build trust with those around you. It’s important to be a good listener as well and willing to hear people out about what ideas they have and make changes to current processes accordingly based on their observations. To be a good leader means:

• Being a good communicator
• Demonstrating honesty and integrity
• You are accountable for actions
• You are able to delegate and empower others
• You are creative and innovative

These are just a few qualities you should focus on developing if you wish to see yourself in a higher level position over the years.

Be Proactive

In addition, you can be more successful in your career by being proactive and taking the initiative instead of waiting around for others to tell you what to do next. For instance, if you notice there’s a better way to perform your work or you see someone who needs help then speak up and let your presence be known. Employers like to have someone on their team who isn’t afraid to voice their concerns or ideas if it’s going to better the company and help everyone out. No boss wants to manage an employee who is always having to be told what to do and doesn’t appear very passionate about the company or job.

Network with Others

It’s extremely important to build your professional network if your goal is to be more successful in your career. You never know who you’re going to meet that will be able to offer you an attractive position elsewhere or help you advance at your current job. A lot of times it’s about who you know and being able to build relationships that will allow you to perform better at your job and advance in your career. You want others to trust you and know they can turn to you for advice and to bounce ideas off of. It’s never too late to start building your network and getting to know others both at your workplace and in the general business community.

Take Care of Yourself

You can also be more successful in your career by making sure you’re good about taking care of yourself. For instance, it’s important to eat right, exercise and get good sleep, so you have a lot of natural energy at work. You’ll perform better and won’t make as many mistakes when you’re well-rested and aren’t carrying around a lot of unwanted stress with you each day. Get to know yourself well, and what triggers you have so you can avoid situations and people that tend to get under your skin and upset you. Work on improving your emotional intelligence so that you don’t take actions or say words in the workplace that you may later regret.

Conclusion

Success doesn’t happen overnight and often takes a lot of extra effort and hard work on your part. Use these tips as practical ways for how you can be more successful in your career and get ahead quickly. Keep in mind that there will be ups and downs along the way but that if you stay focused and are committed to building a promising future for yourself that you’ll be able to achieve great accomplishments in your life.

If your business is a success in your home country, it’s natural to be curious about the possibility of taking this success to the next level with global expansion. Companies which manage to do so open a whole new world of possibilities for their business’ potential, but not every business has what it takes. Business decisions are always fraught with risk and complex issues, but international expansion is a unique undertaking that you should not walk into blindly. Before you take the leap, here are some potential challenges you should consider before making the final decision to go global.

1. Is There a Market for Your Product?

It’s a simple one but a big one, is there an audience for your product or service? Trying to move your business into a country where there is no demand for your product could be a catastrophic waste of money and time. It’s not enough to think your product is needed; you need to do your research and base your business decisions on facts and data. On the other hand, if there is a demand, is it already being met by other companies? Make sure you can offer something unique and if you can avoid saturated markets.

2. Are There Cultural Differences or Language Barriers?

What language is spoken in your chosen country? If you don’t have the ability to communicate this could be a big stumbling block. You have the option to learn some key elements of the language, or you may need to hire a translator or bilingual member of staff. Another option is outsourcing customer service to somewhere which can communicate with your new customers. Learning the language or at least the basics will mean that you can build stronger relationships with new clients and/or distributors. Obviously, there will also be differences in currency and trade processes to get to grips with.

In addition to language barriers, you need to consider the potential for cultural differences. Your new customers and business partners may be used to conducting business in a different way. In some countries, business transactions are very simple and straightforward while others expect a degree of ‘small talk’ or socializing as part of the business relationship. You don’t want to offend simply by being unaware of any business traditions or customs that may be important to others. For example, it is customary in China to bring a gift to a business meeting. The gift will be refused by the recipient several times before being accepted.

3. Do You Understand Legal Regulations and Tax Codes?

There will be new business regulations and tax codes as well as trading standards to meet. You may have to set up a foreign business bank account to deal with your transactions as foreign banks may be reluctant to deal with a U.S based account. Packaging requirements will also differ from country to country, and you may need to translate the wording into the country’s native language and possibly several others.

4. What’s the Local Competition?

If there is already a product or service like yours in the new country, you need to work out your USP. Why would local people choose to buy from a foreign manufacturer a domestic one? Is your product of a better quality or offering benefits that others do not? It may be that being a US manufacturer would be an advantage, but you’ll certainly need to win their trust. If possible, you should travel to the country and visit attend some relevant trade shows.

5. Consider Online Ecommerce

A potential way to sell products globally is with an international ecommerce platform. These enable you to trade with the same efficiency as you do in your home market as well as providing you with insight into all elements of the sales process. A multi-channel ecommerce platform will help you to tailor your sales approach for different languages, currencies and even seasonal trends.

6. How Will You Arrange Shipping and Distribution?

The efficiency of your shipping and distribution is crucial to global expansion. You may want to partner up with a company in the county as they will have experience in the nuances and processes involved. This may also help potential customers to have more faith in your brand. Logistics is a complex subject even in your home country, so before taking the decision to go internationa, you should consider finding some further training or even a degree in relevant business disciplines. For example, you can study for an MS in supply chain management online which includes modules on global shipping and leadership.

7. Do Your Need to Rebrand?

Will your new customers respond to your brand and product ideas, or have they been designed with your home customers in mind? It may be worth doing some rebranding which is largely consistent with what you have but incorporates elements which are more appealing to the new market. What is humorous in your country may be offensive in another and vice-versa. The sourcing of materials may be important here as you could significantly improve your margins and the reliability of the supply chain by using local suppliers and supporting the local economy.

8. Have You Done Your Due Diligence?

If possible, you should always visit the country you intend to sell your product in. This will enable you to see first-hand how your business may fit in with the culture and existing market. You’ll also be able to do some research into your potential competitors and how they market their products. Do as much research and analysis as you can, consider all the worst-case scenarios and how you would tackle them if they happened.
Should You Expand Your Business Internationally?

Despite all these considerations and hurdles, expanding your business internationally is still an exciting time. Finding new markets is a great way to extend the sales life of your products and helps to protect your business from unpredictable demand cycles and seasonal shifts. If you take a pragmatic and realistic approach based on a foundation of evidence (not assumption) that your business has the potential to succeed internationally, it could be the best thing you ever do.

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

Those in the field of automatic research, innovation, and engineering will now be looking to China when it comes to the cars of the future. The country is intent on drawing up brand new standards when it comes to internet-connected smart cars and cars that are able to offer autonomous driving. No longer does this kind of technology only seem possible in the far off future thanks to China's goal to formulate a minimum of 30 new sets of standards by the year 2020.

Where to Look for Inspiration

It’s not just the automotive sector here in the United States that is carefully watching what China is developing, but also those enrolled in a masters degree in civil engineering. Schools such as Ohio University are well-known for their online civil engineering degree program and students are now getting an idea of what they will need to achieve in order to be competitive with China in the future. It’s no longer just about standing out here at home. Rather, it is about standing out in a global field.

What to Expect in the New Standards

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the statement regarding its goal of 30 new sets of standards just this past week. Within the release, additional information was given on just what these sets will include. Things such as information safety, function safety, auxiliary controls, human to machine interfaces, information interaction, and information recognition were all cited.

What may be even more surprising is that the goal doesn’t end in 2020. There is an even bigger goal that China has set where it aims to release a whopping 100 new standards by the year 2025. There is a push to support "high-level autonomous driving" by that point, so these additional standards will all become necessary. By the year 2025, China wants to see 80% of new cars in the country offering driving assistance of some sort.

So why the push to create and release all these new standards? It’s simple really – China is looking to take the lead in the automotive innovation and technology segment of the market. The country has the desire to be more competitive in the industry and it views smart cars as being the way to do so.

In order to help push the process forward, a new alliance has been formed called the China Industry Innovation Alliance for the Intelligent and Connected Vehicles. Within the alliances are top technology companies and the major automakers.

Of course, this is all part of the bigger "Made in China 2025" initiative that is taking place across all sectors of information, technology, and manufacturing in the country.

Competition Ahead for Automakers around the World

As China pushes ahead with its plans to not only innovate but become a leader in high-tech automobile offerings, it looks as though the rest of the world will need to see some lofty and big goals of its own if it hopes to keep up or even pull ahead of China’s lead.

While America is busy pushing ahead its new “America First” agenda, it seems as though China is well ahead of the game with its own “Made in China 2025” initiative, which has the country poised to take the lead in engineering. As all kinds of students graduate from their online master of science in electrical engineering degree at prestigious universities such as the New Jersey Institute of Technology, they are flooding the market only to discover that America is not first at all on the global scale.

America Second May Need to Become the New Slogan

While there has been talk of China quietly pulling together its resources and aiming to take over in a number of industries, nowhere is it more noticeable than in the field of engineering. It seems as though China's rise is having more of an impact that experts were predicting.

Where it used to be that the United States dominated in the field of top engineering schools, now they are sharing the spot with China. Of the top 10 engineering schools in the world, the United States and China now each have four on the list.

That means for all the students graduating with such degrees as the master of science in electrical engineering, there is intense competition coming from the other side of the world. No longer are students simply competing with other graduates here at home; rather, they are competing with graduates from around the world, in particular, China.

Four Times the Annual Graduates

The STEM subjects are made up of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and it is here you really start to see some strong numbers. These are the core competencies needed across the board when looking at the fastest-growing sectors of today's modern economies.

Right now, China has four times more graduates in these subjects on an annual basis over that of the United States. To look at the numbers more specifically, China sees 1.3 million STEM graduates annually, whereas here in the United States, it's just 300,000.

To add salt to the wound, there were also more Ph.Ds. in STEM fields awarded to Chinese university graduates each and every year during the Obama administration. So while this push for China to take the lead in a number of industries may seem relatively new, the fact is that it’s been happening quietly behind the scenes for quite some time now.

Here's another statistic that is coming as a wake-up call for many here in the United States, and that's the fact that China isn't just aiming to be number one in a variety of markets but it has already hit that spot. When it comes to smartphones, supercomputers, and automobiles, China has far surpassed the United States.

A Trend That Continues to Build Strength

The trend of China pushing ahead and really becoming not just a serious player in various STEM fields but also a leader is one that doesn’t show signs of slowing. If anything, the Chinese government is setting up measures and initiatives to help ensure that China continues to push for the top and become a global leader.

Telemedicine has been expanding in the rural parts of the United States rapidly due to the difficulty of finding medical professionals with an online HIM degree willing to live there and the cost savings that it brings when transportation isn’t required for homebound patients to be checked. Telemedicine is also gaining in popularity in Asia according to reports. Let’s look at the reasons why.

Rural Service in China

China has been rolling out telemedicine to bring skilled medical expertise to rural areas without having to transport them professionals across the wide, often mountainous country. China’s National health and Family Planning Commission started setting up a telemedicine network in 2013 to connect local health workers to remote experts with a bachelors in health information management. When the network is fully deployed and functional, it will be the largest telemedicine system on the planet.

China is also using the telemedicine network to send test results from EKGs and ultrasound probes generated by medical assistants to trained experts, allowing patients to receive expert opinions without having to travel to hospitals in major cities. Singapore’s mClinica is working on equipment to support this endeavor to bring professional care to rural villages and poor neighborhoods served by people with relatively little medical training.

Japan’s Efforts to Support Aging in Place

Japan is developing telemedicine networks to monitor many elderly who are homebound or have limited ability to travel at low cost. They are looking at ways to reduce medical costs in a nation with a shrinking population due to 30 years of below replacement birth rates. Eliminating the need to send nurses to visit the growing aging population saves everyone time and saves Japan’s universal healthcare system money while its economy remains in the doldrums. Singapore and South Korea are experiencing a similar “gray wave” and are looking at using telemedicine to reduce the cost of care to monitor the elderly and minimize the need for hospital stays.

The benefits for patients are obvious as well, such as stroke rehabilitation patients in Singapore using iPads for rehab instead of trying to arrange travel to a clinic. The government doesn’t need as many therapists, patients don’t have to leave their homes, and patients’ caregivers aren’t burdened by the effort of getting them to and from therapy. The cost of this service is a tenth that of conventional rehabilitation. Tele-rehab doesn’t work for everyone, but saving time and money for some patients leaves more resources for everyone without sacrificing quality of care.

Regional Awareness of Cost Savings

In Asia, the telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, electronic health records and mobile health networks are expected to approach two billion dollars by 2020. The annual growth rate is over 12%, driven by nations investing in lower cost, less resource intensive care for the under-served and the greater efficiency of limited numbers of medical staff to care for the elderly.

They can now afford to be proactive instead of struggling to meet basic medical needs for the population. And better connectivity and longer life expectancies mean they have both the reasons and resources to adopt telemedicine. The value is so well defined that telemedicine is part of the basic Smart City plan and Smart City infrastructure, which many Asian cities are implementing so they can modernize as quickly and effectively as possible.

From first grade through graduation, we all study history. We study how America became a country, the president’s names (usually by rhythmic song), and how the entire human race survived from the beginning of documented time. As children on field trips, we were one of the 850 million people that visited American museums each year. As we progressed from first grade history to more advanced subjects, we realized that there is something special that connects us to our ancestors. With our developed knowledge we started to connect the dots between people that seemed so far away and ourselves. Congratulations if you are one of the lucky ones that can see the beauty behind all of the mistakes and successes of the people that shaped our world into an amazing, technologically advanced piece of art. Once you realize that life is an ever winding spool of thread, you will be able to see history in everything you do. If you have made studying and admiring history into a passion, you may ask yourself how you can deepen your connection to the past. Well, instead of letting you wonder, I will give you some helpful advice so that you may take delight in all that this world has to offer.

Buy one of a kind, valuable memorabilia.

The most exciting thing that someone can do is buy some sort of personalized, one of a kind memorabilia that no one else owns but you. For instance, there are few places that you can go to find historical autographs for sale. If you are looking for a deep connection between you and the past, you will definitely be able to find it by viewing old, handwritten documents that help you better understand history. Not only is it nice to look at and admire but it is a great way to dissect what may have been going through the mind of the person who wrote it. Having a document may help you truly bring a person back to life as you uncover the meaning and purpose for these records in world history. Not only is this an amazing thing to own for yourself but it is also something very unique to pass down to generations after you, it is something that can be cherished, all because you took an effort to preserve history for your family.

Find out how your family directly connects to important people that shaped our world.

Another great way to connect yourself with history is by finding out how your direct ancestors played a role in making it. There are many great search engines that you can find online to help you discover your ancestors. As you discover your forefathers, you can start connecting the little things between past events that played a big role on the present. You may even find out that you were a direct decent from one of our many amazing world leaders. The exciting part is that once you begin searching, there is really no telling what you’ll find!

Take a class at a college, just for fun.

Another enjoyable way to bring history to life is by taking a college course just for fun. Most people dread taking general education classes but when you decide to take it just for your own personal knowledge, you begin to appreciate it more. Since most professors normally encounter students who don’t show an interest in their class, you may even be able to develop a personal relationship with your professor. You may be able to debate history, get more information than is taught in the class and you will finally be able to talk to someone that has as much enthusiasm about the past that you do. You will be surprised at how much knowledge you can gain from a college professor. It will be like having your own personal history book to talk to at any given point and time. Not only will you learn a lot but usually each professor has a specialty in which they teach. Once you figure out what class interests you and which era or country you find the most interesting, you will be able to find a professor that shares the same interest easily.

Take an educational trip to visit historic sites.

Another unique way to connect with the past is by taking an educational trip to a known historic site. Everything is historic and important in its own way, but there is something very interesting about learning and visibly seeing the places where important events occurred. You can travel across the world or you can just drive up the street. Start where you live so you can see how your hometown made an impact on the world. From there begin to travel to places that you find the most interesting. The great part about this is you can use the steps listed above to help you research your destination before you go. Maybe you will want to find a place that your family was directly connected to. Maybe you will find a place that a formal document was signed in which you own. Maybe you will want to find a place that your college professor talks highly of. Wherever you go, you are bound to have a fantastic time exploring the different cultures while you appreciate the history behind it.

Written by Jane Brown

Asian students are a group of people who are often trying to cut their energy consumption, for a range of reasons, including of course the fact that the less energy you use, the less it will cost you. Living on a student budget isn’t often easy, however, it does provide you with a great opportunity to reduce your carbon footprint and get used to practicing a more eco-friendly way of living. We’ve listed some of the main ways in which students at Asian colleges are able to help the planet by going green, and save money in the meantime.

Online Degree Programs

Typically, if you want to study for a degree at college, you will need to commit to attending often daily classes for around four years. However, online study has risen significantly in popularity over the past few years, with one of the main reasons for this being that students have the freedom and flexibility to study from home or other locations of their choice, with a timetable that they’ve come up with themselves and is perfectly suited to their lifestyle. Because of this, there is much less travel involved, so studying online can actually help to contribute to reducing the number of vehicles on the roads and minimizing carbon emissions.

Become Self-Sufficient

Self-sufficiency is certainly growing in popularity, particularly in Asian countries, and an increasing number of people are turning to things such as solar panels on their homes or water wells at home that they can use, rather than paying a monthly bill to be connected to the main grid. Although becoming self-sufficient with your utilities can take a while and a lot of work to set up, it’s definitely worth thinking about as a student, even if your plans for self-sufficiency don’t come into fruition until after you graduate from college.

Track Your Energy Use

As a student, the last thing you need is an unexpected utility bill to land on your doorstep and add even more stress to your life. This is why tracking your energy usage can be particularly useful for students, as it allows you to keep up with what you are using and have an idea of how much you’ll be paying for your energy per month. Along with this, making the effort to really think about how and when you’re using and wasting energy will make it easier for you to cut down and use less.

Get Creative with Recycling

If you’re studying for a program such as the Oregon Online MBA, being innovative and creative is required to be successful. Using the same creative skills that you apply in your academic work to eco-friendly activities such as recycling and finding new uses for things rather than throwing them away will help you to live a greener lifestyle and spend less. And, recycling can be fun!

Reducing energy consumption is important for everybody as it’s a great way to save money and you’ll reduce your carbon footprint at the same time, benefitting the planet as well as your pocket! If you’re a student in Hong Kong, Singapore or anywhere else in Asia, large energy bills are certainly the last thing that you need, which is why these green habits are great to start now.

As the global economy gains traction and the market grows faster than ever, the need for professionals to fill key positions rises. Schools and universities are now making their programs more flexible than ever, allowing students to pick up the skills they need to succeed in a relatively short amount of time. It doesn’t stop there either. Schools are taking active steps towards providing students with the support they need. Aside from participating as a community leader, you also have the option to be a counselor at school.

There are several top counseling courses available online from the best universities such as Wake Forest University. More importantly, these courses are designed to help future counselors and community leaders learn the necessary skills to be effective. Aside from empathy and the ability to learn and adapt, there are 8 other skills a good community leader must master.

The 10 Qualities of Great Community Leaders infographic was designed by Wake Forest University.

Wake Forest Online Counseling Program