All posts by Suzanne Shaffer

college majors, college planning

The Benefits of a Marketing Degree

 

marketing degreeWhether you are in the middle of your education or you are planning what to study when the time comes, a marketing degree will give you a solid background for many different careers. The knowledge and skills that you learn when you study marketing can be applied to careers in business, advertising, sales, economics, social sciences and many other areas. You will find the study of marketing includes ideas and practical applications from several different disciplines. You will graduate well-rounded and prepared for success. If you are trying to decide between a marketing degree and something else, consider what you will gain from the marketing path.

Audience

One of the most important aspects of marketing is understanding your audience. You will not be able to successfully market anything without knowing everything you need to know about the potential customers and clients you will try to reach. Whether you are marketing a product or a service, you need to know who your buyers are. An education in marketing will help you figure this out. You will learn how to analyze demographics, read statistics and anticipate exactly who will pay attention to your marketing outreach efforts. If you go into another field such as business or politics, the skills you obtain in learning to understand your audience will also be useful.

Continue reading The Benefits of a Marketing Degree →

college guidance

5 Tips to Stay Out of Legal Trouble in College

 

legal troubleThe college years are often a period of growth and change for a young individual. Gaining knowledge, skills, and experience to prepare for a career and adult responsibilities takes dedication and hard work. College students must stay focused on their studies, while still maintaining an active social life. Staying out of legal trouble in college is important for getting on the path to a bright future and a successful career. There are five important tips that college students should keep in mind to avoid legal trouble in college.

Pay Parking Tickets on Time

Parking can be tough for commuting students on many college campuses. A lack of available spots in lots can often cause students to simply take the first spot that is available. Campuses strictly enforce parking rules and regulations in order to make a fair system for everyone. It is important to purchase a parking permit that allows one to park in a designated lot. When parking tickets do wind up on the windshield, students should take care to pay them up as soon as possible. Unpaid tickets can result in a car being booted, which is costly for students. Paying citations and parking in permitted areas is the smartest way to avoid trouble with campus parking enforcement.

Continue reading 5 Tips to Stay Out of Legal Trouble in College →

dorm life, student health

Smart snacks to eat while studying

 

Studying is hungry work, but choosing the wrong foods to satisfy this hunger can actually decrease your energy levels and sabotage your healthy diet.  Chips, cookies and other snacks consisting of simple carbohydrates provide bursts of energy, but this energy quickly dissipates, so you experience crashes.  Instead of binging on junk food, eat healthy, balanced, smart snacks, like the five suggested below, to ease your cravings, fuel your brain, and keep both your diet and your education on track.

healthy snacksApple Slices or Celery and Peanut Butter

Apple slices or celery sticks paired with one to two tablespoons of peanut butter provide a good mix of carbohydrates, fat, and protein to keep you full and alert while you pursue your education.   Celery sticks are lower in calories and sugar than apple slices, so if you need to munch constantly, these are the smarter choice.  If, however, you are feeling sluggish and sleepy, opt for apple slices.  They will give your blood sugar more of a boost.

When choosing a peanut butter, select a natural brand without added sugar or hydrogenated oils.  Eating brands that have added sugars, like corn syrup or table sugar, may give you a sugar rush, but the energy boost will not last.  Because the sugars in these peanut butters are simple sugars, your body processes them rapidly.  This means a crash will quickly follow the initial sugar rush.

Continue reading Smart snacks to eat while studying →

admissions, college guidance, college majors, college planning

4 Reasons to Consider a Business Degree

 

business degreeNarrowing down the best major is often difficult. Some students choose the wrong path and end up regretting their degree program. Likewise, other students choose degree programs with limited job opportunities. Choosing to enroll as a Cardinal Stritch business management student, for instance, can open the door to several career opportunities in the future. If your student is on the fence and can’t decide between a business program and another degree, here are four good reasons to pursue a business degree.

1. Better Job Security

There is no guaranteed way to avoid a job lay off. However, obtaining a business degree can provide greater job security. Education level can impact unemployment, as well as the type of education. Business is an in-demand degree, with many graduates able to find stable employment upon completion of their degree.

Continue reading 4 Reasons to Consider a Business Degree →

career colleges, college guidance, college planning, community college

Is community college the right choice?

 

community collegeMany young people dream of going off to college—leaving home, living in the dorms, exploring an exciting new city, and exercising new found independence. Because of this, community college is often an over looked option.

However, in our struggling economy, going to college isn’t just a rite of passage. It’s also a strategic investment that will affect our children’s financial success and achievements for the rest of their lives. Like any other investment, parents and students are looking to minimize costs while maximizing their returns. For some, community college can be a great way to accomplish this.

Continue reading Is community college the right choice? →

infographics

A Dropout Nation

 

The U.S. is often considered a dropout nation. Graduating from high school is important for many reasons, including higher employment rates and taxable incomes for graduates. However, while high school graduation rates in the U.S. are rising, there’s much improvement to be made – especially among disadvantaged students. Have a look at the state-by-state comparison of graduation rates broken down by race, along with recommendations on how to improve these rates.

A Dropout Nation

college housing, dorm life

Off to college? Tips for getting along with roommates

 

college roommatesWe’ve all seen movies about the college experience, ripe with parties, drinking and new experiences. The reality of it is, living with roommates isn’t always one big love-fest. How you get along with your roommates impacts your entire college experience, so follow these tips designed to help you coexist peacefully.

Create a System

When more than one person shares a small space, it tends to become a matter of who left the thermostat up, why there’s a pile of dishes in the sink, and whose turn it is to clean the bathroom. Head off trouble by creating a chore list that clearly outlines who has each duty on any given day. Work together to come up with a fair list, so no one carries an unfair load.

Continue reading Off to college? Tips for getting along with roommates →

college guidance, college planning

Summer activities for next year’s high school seniors

high school juniors

There is nothing more tempting to your student after finishing junior year finals, than to close his laptop, stow his books and vow not to think about anything school-related until the last week of August rolls around. The bad news is, senior year takes a little more planning than students want it to and getting a head start can make the fall and spring less stressful and more enjoyable. The good news is, much of what your student might want to tackle can be fun — especially if she plans ahead. Here’s are three things to think about during the summer after junior year, along with three ways to hopefully make them a little more fun.

Continue reading Summer activities for next year’s high school seniors →

college guidance, college planning, organization, parenting, social networks, technology, test prep, tutoring

Tech resources for the college-bound

 

tech resourcesTonight’s #CollegeCash Chat was centered around available tech resources for the college-bound and their parents. Following is a short transcript of the questions and answers with all the links I provided. As a parent myself and a parent advocate I understand the frustration with the college admissions process. It’s my hope that you will find some tools here that will make the process easier.

Q. Is there a lot of technology out there that benefits students and parents when it comes to college? 

  • We now have online sites for just about every part of the college admissions process and stay organized
  • Multiple apps are also available to help parents and students while they are on the go
  • Smartphones and portable devices like the iPad have made the college prep process easier

Q. Are SmartPhones necessary for our kids leaving for college? 

  • Every college student needs a smartphone–here are some features you should look for: http://bit.ly/151BUJj
  • Smartphones help them communicate, socially interact, store and process information, and enable social networking in class
  • An added bonus to the smartphone is the ability to stay in touch with parents via facetime, texts, and location apps

Continue reading Tech resources for the college-bound →

admissions, college guidance, college planning, essays

How to Make a Winning College Application Video Essay

1 Comment

 

video essay

Today, I’m reviewing a book entitled “How to Make a Winning College Application Video Essay” by Max Kiefer and Rosa Wolfe. This book is written by parents for students: “We are a husband and wife writing and filmmaking team who have worked together so long that finishing each other’s written sentences is literally our stock in trade.”

In the beginning text in the book, they talk about the emergence of the video college application essay:

UTube officially arrived in 2009 when Tufts University invited applicants to submit an optional one-minute video. Tufts’ director of admissions, Lee Coffin, made this decision after being so impressed with a student video he famously remarked, “I thought, ‘If this kid applied to Tufts, I’d admit him in a minute, without anything else.’ ” With or without Tuft’s paradigm-changing decision, in the Internet age the college admissions video was inevitable. For a generation that has grown up swimming in social media, for whom images are a critical adjunct to communication, it’s hard to imagine that videos would not eventually become an element in the college sweepstakes. George Mason University, William and Mary, and St. Mary’s College have also begun inviting video submissions. More schools will surely follow. In any case, providing the colleges to which you apply with a DVD or a link to a short video essay won’t hurt. You don’t need to ask permission. If a college doesn’t want to look at your video, they simply won’t… but there’s every chance they will.

Continue reading How to Make a Winning College Application Video Essay →