Income Generating Activities While On Campus

Every young person has a career ambition either to become a medical doctor, accountant, and engineer e.t.c. These are long-term goals that can be achieved through hardwork, dedication and personal sacrifice.

The role of finance can not be overemphasized in career development, lack of funds have affected dreams of young people becoming reality because some young people do not have guardians, parents or sponsors and getting scholarship is an uphill task because it is really competitive. Some students have drop out of schools because of this factor while others have engaged themselves in some illicit acts such as prostitution, crime, internet fraud, drug trafficking tarnishing their image and prosecuted by law enforcement agencies.

There various legitimate activities that a student could embark on which will serve as a means of livelihood. These activities are called Income Generating Activities.

Income generating activities are ideas, business that provides a regular flow of income for an individual. It provides financial benefits, produce small and regular amount of cash and improves the standard of living. These activities build individual self-esteem and satisfaction.

To start an income generating activity you require skills and small capital, there various skills that can be acquired through informal training and learning and when one becomes perfect on the skills application, it opens the door for greater opportunities. The vocational skills that could be acquired are hair dressing, barbing, confectionaries making, graphics & arts, photography, hat & beads making e.t.c.

This skill when acquired provides the essential services for the demands of students in the higher institution. Time constrain can be a barrier for learning but with planning you could make time your friend. The training could be done during semester break especially the second semester which is usually a long vacation while students awaiting admission can use that period to learn these skills which will help them become self reliant while in school.

Income generating activities require small capital to start, activities like GSM calls, event management, hall decoration, computer typing, graphics, photography, hat& bead making, barbing, hair dressing require limited funds but entails skills acquisition, time management, dedication and professionalism. The source of the start up capital could be from your personal savings, donations from relatives in terms of cash and kind, proceed from stocks, shares, contributions, loans from friends.

It is important to carry out feasibility study to determine the viability of the business. The outcome of the study will help in strategizing and answer the questions of what to produce? How to produce? , Who to produce for?

Do not forget your primary aim of being in the higher institution, it is very important you remain focus irrespective of the money you are making from your business, do not stab lectures because you want to attend to your customers nor miss your personal reading. With proper planning balancing academics and business should not be an issue.

You can also become an entrepreneur after graduation with your experience and skills acquired, the education you have will help transform your business into a bigger entity, instead of applying for jobs like other graduates, and you will become an employer of labour.

THE IMPACT OF STRESS MANAGEMENT IN AN ORGANISATION

THE IMPACT OF STRESS MANAGEMENT IN AN ORGANISATION

Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. With the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion, or a new relationship, we experience stress as we readjust our lives. In so adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder us depending on how we react to it

What is Stress Management?
Stress management encompasses techniques intended to equip a person with effective coping mechanisms for dealing with psychological stress, with stress defined as a person's physiological response to an internal or external stimulus that triggers the fight-or-flight response. Stress management is effective when a person utilizes strategies to cope with or alter stressful situations

Techniques of stress management
There are a variety of ways of coping with stress. Some techniques of time management may help a person to control stress. In the face of high demands, effective stress management involves learning to set limits and to say "No" to some demands that others make. Techniques of stress management will vary according to the theoretical paradigm adhered to, but may include some of the following:
· Autogenic training
· Cognitive therapy
· Conflict resolution
· Exercise
· Meditation
· Progressive relaxation
· Sexual intercourse
· Stress balls
· Time management
THE IMPACT OF STRESS MANAGEMENT IN AN ORGANISATION
Stress Management has a direct benefit to employee’s well being and good health. Employers should provide a stress-free work environment, recognize where stress is becoming a problem for staff, and take action to reduce stress. Stress in the workplace reduces productivity, increases management pressures, and makes people ill in many ways, evidence of which is still increasing. Workplace stress affects the performance of the brain, including functions of work performance; memory, concentration, and learning Stress at work also provides a serious risk of litigation for all employers and organizations, carrying significant liabilities for damages, bad publicity and loss of reputation. Dealing with stress-related claims also consumes vast amounts of management time. So, there are clearly strong economic and financial reasons for organizations to manage and reduce stress at work, aside from the obvious humanitarian and ethical considerations. If you are suffering from stress yourself the stress management guidelines here are just as relevant. Stress in the workplace not only damages a business’s performance it also creates a legal duty to be treated like any other health hazard. Employers have a clear responsibility to ensure that risks from stress in the workplace are minimized.

Organizations that embark on stress management have a lot to gain; the benefits of stress management in an organization are as follows:

q Reduce sickness and absenteeism
q Increase Productivity
q Improve Performance
q Raise Morale and Creativity
q Improve Quality of Work
q Raise Energy Levels
q Increase Levels of Achievement
q Increase Efficiency
q Better health and well-being
q Feeling more positive and confident
q Being more productive and motivated
q Fewer bouts of illness, colds and being absent
q Sleeping better and being more alert
q Greater creativity
q Less irritated
q Less impacted on by commuting problems
q Managing others better

In this modern world it is difficult if not impossible to change stressful situations. What we can do however is change and reduce our exposure to those stressful situations

THE ROLE OF COUNSELING IN WORK PLACE

Mike has made a good reputation in his organization for his efficiency in carrying out his duties effectively, he has won so many staff awards and enjoyed promotions because of his outstanding performance but things suddenly changed, Mike comes late to work, he can meet up with deadline as usual and prefers to keep to himself? What has gone wrong with Mike? This is where counseling plays a meaningful role in an organization.

At times everyone feels stressed out, depressed, angry, anxious or confused, sometimes these problems gradually go away on their own or they get better with the support of colleagues, friends and family. However there are other times when these problems can cause major disruption in our lives and affect our performance at work and interaction with others. It is necessary to seek for counseling to help identify the problems, as the saying ‘ a problem shared is half solved’’

Counseling is a process where a counselor assists a counselee to take informed decision of problems related to personal, social, academic and career concerns. It is very important to seek for counseling when you discover that situation is weighing you down.

Some workplaces do not have provision for a professional counselor but line managers, supervisors or colleagues can be in a better position to assist in taking necessary course of action.

There are three areas where counseling may be required at workplace, it maybe needed because of issues arising within the individual, caused by the organization or emanating from sources external to both the individual and organization.

Problems arising within the individual may be psychological or due to controllable events like illness. Examples of psychological problems include frustration, lack of job satisfaction, arrogance and failure to succeed.

Problems caused by the work organization acting on the individual include technical incompetence, underutilization, relationship with colleagues and superiors and uncertain future where there may be changes or threat of redundancy.

Problems from outside both the individual and work place may not be really have an impact on the work of the staff, this could be inform of problems around money, marital or sexual relationship, family (behavior of children, illness and bereavement.)