Running for Student Council Pros and Cons

Running for Student Council Pros and Cons Are you thinking about running for student council? Trying to weigh the pros and cons? The actual rules for student council will differ from school to school, but these tips will help you decide if student council is right for you and will help you prepare a successful campaign. Reasons to Run for Student Council Student government might be a good activity for you if you: Like to bring about changeWould enjoy a career in politicsEnjoy planning eventsAre outgoing and sociableHave time to prepare for attending meetings Common Student Council Positions President: The class president normally runs council meetings. The president often represents the student body in meetings with school administrators.Vice President: The vice president assists the president in many duties. The vice president also stands in for the president and runs the meetings when necessary.Secretary: The class secretary keeps an accurate record of meetings and student activities, programs, and sessions. You should be organized and enjoy writing and taking notes if you run for this position.Treasurer: Are you good with numbers? Interested in bookkeeping or accounting? The treasurer keeps track of student council funds and is responsible for the disbursement of funds. Campaign Planning Consider Why Youre Running: Ask yourself what kinds of changes you want to effect and what issues youd like to resolve. What is your platform? How will the school and student body benefit from your participation in student council? Set a Budget: There are expenses involved with running a campaign. Create a realistic budget, taking into account materials like posters, buttons, and snacks for volunteers. Find Campaign Volunteers: Youll need help creating your campaign and communicating your goals to students. Choose people with a wide variety of skills. For instance,  a strong writer can help with your speech, while an artist can create posters. People from different skill sets can help leverage creativity while people with different interests can assist in broadening your connections. Brainstorm: Think about your strengths, the words that best describe you, your advantages over the other candidates, and your unique message. Its often helpful to ask others to describe how they see you. Tips for Student Council Campaigns Review all the campaign rules carefully. They will differ from school to school, so dont make any assumptions. Remember to check for paperwork submission deadlines.Make sure you meet academic requirements.Complete the application in a professional way. No sloppy handwriting or incomplete answers. Teachers and advisors will be more supportive if you demonstrate that you take the position seriously.You may be required to collect a certain number of signatures from fellow students, teachers, and administrators before you can run. Consider preparing a notecard with important points about your goals and plans and use it as you meet and greet school staff.Identify a certain problem or policy that is meaningful to your classmates and make it part of your platform. However, be sure not to make promises you cant keep.Create a catchy slogan.Find an artistic friend who can help you create publicity material. Why not create postcard-sized ads? Just be sure to follow school rules when it comes to publicity. Prepare a campaign speech. If you are worried about public speaking, practice your speech and follow tips for speaking in class.Remember to play fair. Dont remove, destroy, or cover over other students posters.Be sure to check the rules at your school before investing in giveaways such as items with your name printed on them. At some schools, this sort of advertising may result in disqualification.

Gift-Giving Guide for College Students

Gift-Giving Guide for College Students Gift-giving as a college student can be complicated. Of course, youd love to treat all of your friends and family to big, beautiful gifts ... but your budget and time restrictions often prevent doing so. What options are there, then, for college students who want to give great gifts without seeming cheap or lazy? Gifts Based on Recipients Great Gifts for Your College Boyfriend or Girlfriend. Its hard to come up with a meaningful, reasonably priced, personal gift for your significant other.Gifts for a College Roommate. A college roommate is like no one else; after all, what other person knows so much about you, puts up with your ridiculousness, and lets you eat their cereal when youre meal plan runs out? Whether its for a roommate birthday or the holidays, make sure you get something unique for this important person in your life.General Gift Ideas for Moms. Be it for Mothers Day or her birthday, getting a gift for Mom  is a must-do. Dont forget to make a phone call if youre away at school on the big day, too!Gifts for Your Siblings. You may have been incredibly close to your siblings before you left for school, or you may have been glad to have them no longer annoying you at the dinner table. Either way, forgetting a gift for your sibling can be an unforgivable offense! Gifts Based on Situations Low-Cost Gift Ideas. Regardless of whom your gift is for, it needs to fit within your budget. Thoughtful low-cost gifts will make you look anything but cheap.Last-Minute Gift Ideas. Alright, so your friends/roommates/brothers birthday totally sneaked up on you. Last-minute gift ideas based on someones hobby or creative outlet can help cover your oops-I-nearly-forgot tracks.Unique Valentines Day Gifts. With so much hype, it can be hard to come up with gift ideas for Valentines Day that are original and inexpensive.College Graduation Gift Ideas. Graduation season can get so chaotic that its easy to forget to get a college graduation gift that adequately celebrates this major milestone.