Do you ever have those moments when you step back, look at what you were doing, and think, “Wow, only a college student would do this”? If so, then you are in good company. Upon returning home for my first break my freshman year (and actually interacting with non-students) I realized how odd college students really are. So, I began recording some of the more interesting and amusing aspects of being in college. Perhaps you can relate.
You know you’re a college student when…
Lynley Turkelson is a sophomore Psychology student at Cedarville University. She enjoys studying the human body, particularly the brain, and hopes to eventually work with severely disabled children. In her spare time, she enjoys blogging on The Northern Belle, writing poetry, and reading thought-provoking books.
We are excited for you to start using Postify. Whether you are looking to get some cash for your old Psychology textbook or you want to get rid of that old digital camera you never use, selling and exchanging your things has never been easier. As you look you begin using Postify, we have put together some tips to maximize your user experience and hopefully help you to earn a little more cha-ching.
Now what are you waiting for? If you haven’t already signed up, it only takes about 30 seconds. Get started now!
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August has been a tremendously busy but exciting month for Postify as we launched our website and opened at two primary schools, Cedarville University and Wright State University. Here are a few highlights from our busy month.
Interviews / Press: Tanner Perrien, one of our founders was interviewed here by the Dayton Daily News. We also have an article pending with The Guardian, a student newspaper for Wright State, and we have been featured on several blogs.
Online Visitors: Our online traffic numbers have jumped tremendously over the past few weeks as we have thousands of visits from students from Cedarville, WSU and other schools. More importantly, we’ve had students start to embrace and actively use the site, like this guy.
On-Campus Visits: We had several on-campus visits to Cedarville and WSU. During these visits we talked with students, handed out sunglasses and coasters and had some fun as can be seen in this picture.
$50 Gift Card Giveaway: We also had a promotion at Cedarville University. Students who posted five or more ads on Postify were eligible for a $50 gift card to Amazon. We had great participation and Bethany (@BethanyGraces) was the lucky winner. Congratulations Bethany!!
August was an excellent kick-off for Postify, and we are excited to keep the momentum going in September. If you haven’t already, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay updated and learn more about our upcoming prizes and giveaways!!
Postify recently announce in this Cedarville University ad that we were giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner on Friday, August 31st.
We are thrilled to give away this prize and here are the important details in order to be eligible for this Fun Friday Giveaway.
That’s all! This is a very easy way for one lucky student to get 50 bucks. If you haven’t already posted your items, post them now while there is still time!!
Other Important Details (just in case you were wondering): :-P
We haven’t had an update for a while, but that does not mean the Postify team has not been working hard. Our programming beasts (Adam and Tanner) and master designer (Cam) have been working hard on the new site, blowing away deadlines. While it’s not available to the public yet, we already have a functioning site. If you are reading this blog, you just may get a sneak peak. :)
Let me tell you about some of the features on this site that will make your life as a college student much easier, while also allowing you to save and make a lot of money. Pretty soon you’ll be wondering how you made it without Postify. (You can thank us later.)
Beautiful Design - I think we as a culture have just accepted classifieds sites as websites that look like they were made in 1993, but function well. We easily criticize other functional websites that aren’t aesthetically pleasing, but we turn a blind eye when it comes to classifieds. The team at Postify wants to change that, and our new site that officially launches August 1st offers a clean, modern look, while maintaining the intuitiveness and functionality that is required for a great user experience. We here at Postify like to say that we are “putting the class back into classifieds.”
Social - The new site integrates major social networks and allows you to share your ads on Facebook or Twitter once they’re posted. I know that I’d rather buy, trade or rent things from friends as opposed to strangers, so social sharing will help you do just that.
Textbook Feature - Everyone knows that college textbooks are one of the most purchased items in college. Why not sell, rent or exchange your old textbooks with other students? The new site will allow you to just type in the ISBN number for your textbooks that you’d like to sell, and all of the important information automatically populates. The picture of the book even pops up, making your life much easier. You will also be able to add comments to describe the book’s condition.
Lists - Chances are you have lists of books, movies or furniture you would like to buy. Maybe you see something on Postify that you like, but you aren’t sure if you should buy it. Our list feature allows you to create lists for these items so you can keep tabs on them.
Free! - Did I mention that this will all be free? You will get to do all of this and more for free. I wish I was in college again, just so that I could use this!
That’s a brief summary of just a few of the features for the upcoming launch. Trust us, there is a whole lot more, but we can’t share all of our secrets with you quite yet. ;)
Postify will be launching at Wright State University on August 1st. If you would like to say hello to us or keep up to date with the latest news, make sure you check us out on the social media links below. Also, if you are still reading, click here to see some screenshots of the new site! Thanks for reading and feel free to share us with your college friends!
+Written by Jared Banz
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Unless you are a brand new college Freshman, you likely have many old college textbooks just lying around and collecting dust. You have several options for what to do with these textbooks.
Hoard them - If you would like to make an appearance on the show “Hoarders,” then by all means keep all your textbooks! They also make for great box-stuffers at home, perfect for putting in your parents’ attic for the next 20 years until they’re all moth-eaten and irrelevant.
Burn them - Oftentimes, textbooks and study notes bring back bad memories of long nights cramming, coupled with poor grades and unreasonable professors. Maybe you have a Chemistry notebook that is filled with blood, sweat, tears, midnight-oil and RED INK that came from a heartless professor who felt more like telling you what you did wrong than how you could correct it… but I digress.
OR you could go the smart route:
Exchange them - Is one of your friends taking a class next year that you’ve already taken? Do they still need the book for that class that is sitting under your bed? Maybe they also have a book for an upcoming Psychology class that you are scheduled to take. Why not save money and trade books? Things don’t always work out this way with your immediate friends, but on a campus the size of Wright State, it’s likely that there are hundreds of other students who would love to save some cash and exchange books with you. Instead of buying it new from the bookstore, you decide to get on Postify and propose an exchange.
Sell them - Why not help the class below you? Instead of selling your book back to the bookstore for a fraction of what they’re going to resell it for, sell it to that freshman for more than you would get otherwise. They’ll be happy to buy it for less than at the bookstore, and maybe you could include your notes for a little extra money.
In conclusion, burning and hoarding your books is not the recommended way of dealing with your textbooks. Instead, consider using Postify to exchange, buy or sell your textbooks. You can thank us later when you have more date money.
After finishing a year of college, I’ve experienced great successes, as well as some terrible mistakes. People always give new students tips on what is right and wrong for a college student, yet so few of us follow through. My first mistake was not getting enough sleep, which is vital to receiving a great education, and ultimately it affected some of my grades in the end. Without sleep, it is much more difficult to retain information and the motivation to study. For example,I had a friend in the honors program who maintained a 4.0 all year, and not once did he grant his body less than eight hours of rest. Being well rested, he was able to have the energy to exercise and eat three meals a day, both of which I failed to do as well. It isn’t that I, or any of my similar friends, wanted to deprive ourselves of a healthy lifestyle, but simply lack of effort in factoring health into time management. Studying and sleeping are two of the most important aspects of college life, both of which it seems there is never enough time for. There is also so much pressure on freshmen college students to join clubs, make friends, and get spectacular grades, making it difficult to maintain a healthy balance of sleep and exercise.
Another huge issue that I had in college, as did my roommate, was in the area of spending. Since I attended a school close to Providence during my first year, my friends and I always wanted to go into the city and do new things. The problem with that is the fact that eating multiple meals in the city is not quite as financially-friendly as eating on the designated meal plan. While it may seem tempting to go out and do tons of new things with the credit or debit card that many students are using for the first time, it is important to remember that eventually the funds will be depleted or the balance will have to be paid off. To avoid this problem with food, I suggest always sticking to the meal plan if it is an option. Your bank account and parents will thank you.
Here are a couple more tips for new students:
*This was a guest blog post. If you are a college student and would like to become a contributor to Postify’s blog, please email social@hellopostify.com.
Still looking for something fun to do on the weekends, but not sure what’s off campus? This is the second post in our series on things to do in the greater Dayton area.
National Museum of the Air Force
Boasting more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles on display, the National Museum of the Air Force is a favorite for tourists, visiting Dayton. Admission is free unless you decide to visit a show at their IMAX theatre. (Check your local college classifieds for any available IMAX tickets.) Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is right around the corner too, so keep your eyes open for planes taking off and landing.
Dayton Art Institute
Chances are, one of your general education classes will require you to visit the Dayton Art Institute in downtown Dayton. The Institute was founded in 1919 and has exhibits covering the past 5,000 years. In addition to historical art displays, the Institute also features special events that can be focused on everything from urban art to simply a movie night. Admission is free for students, but make sure it’s open when you plan on going; Mondays and Tuesdays are usually closed.
Oregon District
If you’re looking for a chill place to go visit with friends, or for a laid-back date, the Oregon District is the place to go. You can choose to merely walk around and see historic homes, or you can visit the Oregon Arts District for an “eclectic brew of artistic, educational, and cultural options.” There are also a lot of great local pubs and restaurants offering tasty food options and special craft beers. The Oregon District is a fun place to hang on the weekends and generally attracts a younger, hip crowd.
These are just a couple of the many entertainment options around the Dayton area. If you are new to the area, have fun exploring and trying new things. Also, be sure to check our first post in this series to get more fun and cheap entertainment ideas.