Keep in touch, while being far away from home

Being an international student and being far away from home makes me relay on the Internet, Facebook and Skype to keep in touch with my friends and family back home. The first thing I do when I wake up is to check my Facebook. I look at my friends profile to stay updated on what is going on in their lives.

Last week I watched the Swedish election on TV from my house at home in Sweden, while I was sitting in my room in America, just by using Skype. I connected my Blackberry to my Skype account so that when people call me on Skype it goes straight to my phone. This doesn't only help me stay in touch with family and friends, it also makes me feel closer to home and less homesick.

But you don't have to be far away from home to relay on Facebook and Skype to keep in touch with the people back home. A recent study shows that more and more students relay on internet and social media to keep in touch with parents from home. It also turns out that 75% of the parents that have a teenager in college uses Facebook to stay updated on what is going on in their lives.

Social Media and Skype makes the world smaller and smaller, for every day that passes by. Skype is an excellent way to stay connected and see the ones I love wherever they may be in the world.




By: Elin Karlsson

Mixing business with pleasure: a job search application on Facebook?

   As a college student I spend a majority of my free time on Facebook. Its the most convenient way to catch up with all my friends and keep track of who's doing what. While most of us use Facebook as a means of gossiping, a large number of people have started using it like LinkedIn, for job networking.

   A new Facebook application called "BranchOut" allows users to post job openings, find and make new important business contacts with "friend of a friend" features, and apply for jobs. With 85% of college students using Facebook, it seems like the perfect platform for a job application to thrive on.

   BranchOut is currently available for download on Facebook. Check out the video below for an introduction to BranchOut. Would you use this Facebook app to find a job after college? Comment and let us know what you think.

by: Caitlin Carver
ccarver@flagler.edu