social media | PUC Blog

It hasn’t taken long to realize how much we miss seeing everyone on campus every day so we know this year must be tough on you and your friends. Even though we know social distancing is important for everyone’s health and safety, it’s equally important to stay connected with your friends. Here are a few simple (maybe obvious) ways to do just that.

Follow Each Other On Social Media

We don’t really need to tell you this one, if you have social media you’re most likely already following your friends. But try following your new classmates too! It’s obviously a great way to get to know people and an easy way to stay in touch.

Make A Study Group

Get some classmates together at least once a week, jump on Teams, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Slack, etc, and study! Not only will it help you with your classes but it’s a great way to chat and engage with your schoolmates, and who knows, maybe you’ll meet some new people.

Have Movie Nights

Movie nights may look a little different right now but you can still have them! Pop some popcorn, grab a fizzy drink, your favorite blankets, and hop on FaceTime, Zoom, or Netflix Party and have a great time. Don’t forget to invite your fully little friends if you have them!

Enjoy Music Together

Staying connected with your friends can be as simple as sharing music and enjoying it together. Send your playlists to your friends or send some songs you think your friends would like. If you have Spotify, you can even make a collaborative playlist.

Start A Book Club

Pick a book, not a school book, and start a book club. It’s fun to read in general but it’s even better when you get to share with friends. Video chat each week or start a group text to discuss chapters.

Be A Penpal

The digital world has made communicating simple and fast but sometimes it’s nice to do things ‘old school’. Find a friend and exchange letters. If you’re like me you might get sucked down a rabbit hole full of wax seal and stamps on Etsy.

Everyone is handling this time differently so remember to check up on your friends. Nothing can replace seeing your friends face-to-face, but thankfully technology is here to do it’s best. No matter how far you are from your friends, remember to stay connected.

By: Ally Romanes

Right now we all have a lot of extra time on our hands and most of us find ourselves spending a good chunk of that time on social media. I’m positive you’ve all heard professors or parents telling you to be intelligent about what you post but another reminder couldn’t hurt! The first thing a lot of us do when we meet or are about to meet someone is, look them up! We all do it. A person’s social media is a representation of them, a brand if you will. It can play a role in getting into a school or getting a job. It’s important to make sure you put your best foot forward. Here are a few things to consider about your social media platforms.

Make a good first impression

The first thing anyone sees when they land on your page is your profile photo! Make sure your photo is appropriate. I’m not suggesting everyone needs a headshot in a suit and tie as their default photo, obviously, you should have fun and express yourself how you want but it’s good to keep a few things in mind like making sure your face is visible and on a platform like LinkedIn it’s definitely a good idea to aim for as professional as possible.

Browse through your profile

Take a look at your viewable photos and videos. Pay close attention to things you might be tagged in. Look through your older posts and comments for things that may not reflect the person you are or want to be.

Adjust your privacy settings

I’m sure you know this already, young people are always on top of technology, but you can change your social media settings to not allow your profile to be tagged in photos or videos without your approval. You can also set it so people cannot comment on your FB timeline without approval. If you’ve found you are often being tagged in something you aren’t happy with, consider adjusting your settings. I changed mine simply because my best friend has a habit of posting the absolute ugliest photos of me.

Update your bio!

Make sure you have current information on your page. As someone who uses social media for work often, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken to Facebook to look for someone’s contact information.

Keep it professional

Or at least use proper grammar! I don’t have anything else to say except I really like proper grammar and you should too! At least download Grammarly to give you a helping hand because no one wants to be the person whose posts get comments correcting which version of “there” they incorrectly used!

What you post online reflects who you are. Be smart about what you post because your future professor or boss might see it. Use social media to help you, not hurt you.