1. Evaluate your spending

Spring is a good time to evaluate your spending. This means you should take a look at your budget and determine where the bulk of your money is being spent. If you haven’t made a budget, there’s no time like the present to begin. A good way to stretch your budget is to use your student discounts, both locally and online. Use your meal plan, especially since you have paid for it, and eat out less.

2. Sell old textbooks

Go through your textbooks and determine which ones you want to keep and which ones you will never use again. You can sell those books and recoup some of the cost, while freeing up some space on your bookshelf. This one simple task might give a boost to your budget as well.

3. Rearrange your dorm room

Nothing says spring like rearranging furniture; your dorm room is no exception. Moving your bed to another location or facing your desk to look out the window could result in a change in your outlook. Put your bed on risers and use the space underneath for storage.

4. Recycle used items

While you are rearranging the room, put your recyclable items together: cans, bottle, old magazines and papers. There is no better way to spring clean than to recycle those used items. If your college doesn’t recycle, deposit those items at a recycle station. Consider organizing a student recycling team like the students at Roanoke College..

5. Get rid of those clothes you never wear

Go through your closet and drawers and pull out those ten pairs of jeans you never wear, or the 20 t-shirts that are taking up space in your drawer. If you have some items that are in good shape, take them to a consignment shop and sell them. Take the items that remain and donate them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

6. Spruce up your online image

Since you will be searching for internships and perhaps working during the summer, spring is the time to spruce up your online image. Take down those embarrassing photos on Facebook; and tweak your privacy settings. Do a Google search of your name; corrent or clean up anything that could be creating a negative impression. Update your LinkedIn account and network with other college students at your school and business professionals in your field of study.

7. Clean your computer

Odds are it’s been awhile since you did some cleaning on your computer. This includes: archiving old files; deleting stale bookmarks and organizing working ones for easy access; organizing your communications and contacts; and making sure your data is protected from viruses and spyware. While you’re at it, physically clean your computer. Dust particles can interfere with the computer’s efficient operation.

8. Update your college resume

If you have been a wise college student, you have been building your resume. Spring is the time to update it and get it ready for the summer job hunt. Be sure to add any organizations you have joined, as well as any volunteer activities you have done while in college. If you have worked, add your current employment as well. Be sure to check your grammar and spelling. Take it to the career center and ask someone to proof it for you.

9. Clear your mind

Throw out those negative thoughts and let go of  past mistakes. Start replacing those thoughts that drag you down with positive plans for the future. Once you clear your mind, you will be able to focus and achieve your short term and long term goals.

10. Freshen your iPod content

You are probably tired of listening to the same old things over and over again. It’s time to get rid of those Christmas songs and organize your playlists with songs that motivate and energize you. Consider adding some podcasts to listen to while walking or exercising to expand your mind and broaden your knowledge.

These ten tips will help you get off to a fresh start after your spring break and begin the rest of your semester with a clean slate. Leave us a comment and tell us about your favorite spring cleaning tip.

But if you wait just a few months a different job-hiring season (for long-term jobs) is just around the corner. A little known fact is that spring is when many industries do their annual hiring. Not only is spring the start of the new calendar year, but for many industries that’s when their fiscal year winds down (typically ending some time in June). Companies in these industries must have their budgets and staff recommendations in place before the start of the new fiscal year. This bodes well for you, if you happen to be looking for a job in the spring, or more likely, if you are about to graduate with a brand spanking new college degree.

So what are some of the jobs being offer in spring? Of course the job pool changes every year, depending on the economy, but regardless the following four industries have been steadily fueling the job market for at least the last five years (some even longer).

Education

In all levels of education, from pre-school through college, schools start hiring their teachers in the spring for the following school year (even in year-round schools). The funds to support these new hires come out of the new fiscal year budget, so a teacher pretty much has job security for at least the first school year.

And even though you need a teaching degree to teach elementary and middle school, degreed people in specific areas of study (i.e., math, music, journalism, business, computer science, etc.) are allowed to teach at higher levels such as high school, college, and community education (depending on the school’s and state’s instructor requirements). So even if you DON’T have an education degree there are many other opportunities for you to teach your specific skill.

The downside of teaching, however, is that given the unstable economy many colleges and school districts hire their teachers on a year-to-year contract. So even though you may have a job this year, there’s no guarantee there’ll be money in the budget to keep you employed next year.

Summer Internships

Whether you’re a new graduate yet to find a permanent job or you’re still a student in school, summer is a great time to earn some extra cash through internships. Just about every summer internship starts its staffing process in the spring. For example, the application deadline for the first round of summer internships offered by the placement agency SummerInterships.com is March 11. However, there are additional hiring rounds throughout the spring semester as internships roll in.

The plus side of internships is that often they lead to permanent jobs that you wouldn’t have known about had you not interned in the first place. At the very least an internship gives you real life job experience in an industry in which you one day hope to launch a career. (As a rule, however, steer clear of unpaid internships, if possible. Practical experience is one thing, but you still have to eat and pay rent.)

Alternative Energy

One of the newer (and greener) jobs to come on the scene in the last few years is a solar power engineer and installer. This person does everything from mounting solar panels on residential homes and businesses to designing entire solar energy systems in communities. Even though the sun is the energy source, solar power systems are utilized all over the country (not just in warm climates), and thus solar installers are needed everywhere.

Typically people start thinking about converting to solar energy when the sun reappears after a cold and expensive winter. And as such solar power companies start looking for installers just about the time everyone comes back from spring break. Even though alternative energy companies hire year-round, March seems to be the big hiring season for solar power engineers and installers, as shown on job the placement website Jobsinsolarpower.com. Plus, alternative energy companies hire a wide range of expertise; from installation assistants (trainees) to degreed environmental engineers.

Parks and Theme Parks

Ever dream of running the Teacups ride at Disneyland or helping with tours at Zion National Park? Both are possible on a full or part time basis, and both offer legitimate (and dare I say, fun) careers. Parks and theme parks do big business in summer, so they aggressively staff up in the spring. This gives parks and theme parks time to train new staff, especially if duties involve learning songs and dances, memorizing tour speeches, or learning how to operate technical equipment. Everything from part time summer work to full time career management positions are available. For example, Disneyland Resort offers summer employment programs for students and college students, or full time career opportunities in both business and entertainment.

So if you’re looking for a new job, or just getting your summer employment plans in order, spring is one of the best times of the year to be looking for work. And for you college students getting ready to graduate after spring semester, you might want to use your spring break as an opportunity to get a jump on the job market. Nothing is sweeter than knowing you have a great job waiting for you right after you collect your diploma and throw that grad cap in the air.

The program is designed to help provide professional instructors with the systematic planning and adaption of an online curriculum for K-12 learners as well as college students.

"With traditional schools facing fewer resources than ever, UC Irvine Extension recognizes the need to develop a full program that addresses the growing demand for flexible and personalized online learning," said Angela Jeantet, director of education programs at the school.

Officials added that the program helps effectively train K-12 teachers, community college faculty and continuing education facilitators who are interested in using educational technology to teach in a virtual environment.

Moreover, the program aims to teach educators how to measure student performance. Officials noted that this curriculum will show instructors the increasing standards for online learning.

According to a 2009 Reuters report, the online education industry grew by 17 percent. Furthermore, nearly 25 percent of U.S. students currently take at least some web-based courses.