Category Archives: Sponsored posts

move-in day, Sponsored posts

Campus Arrival Helps Students Prepare for Move-In Day

campus arrival

My goal here is to help parents navigate the college maze. Part of that process is to find and recommend products and/or services that will help parents as they navigate the process.

With college move-in day approaching in the fall and parents using the summer to shop and gather items to send with their college students, I’ve found a FREE service that can help: Campus Arrival. This service makes it easy for parents and students to view and check off all the items the college either requires or recommends for students to move on to campus.

All you need to do is sign up for an account which lets you save your supply checklist. By doing this, you can mark items as done. You’ll also be able to set your school as a favorite so you can link to it quicker. Also, if any other family members want to help and buy you something for college, they can see what you need and what you already have.

Once registered, type in the name of your school (or search on the list by state), and you will see a curated list of college-ready items to pack based on the college’s official recommendations. They have also included items from other schools’ suggestions and expert advice compiled from around the internet. All their recommendations are based on a balance between quality and value.

You will also notice a checkmark next to an item that indicates it is included as an official recommendation from the college. According to their FAQ section:

Our recommendations come in three flavors.

  • First are specific item recommendations. These include an explanation for why we are recommending the item along with a link to that specific product.
  • Second are ‘Starter Pack’ recommendations. These are lists of items that are similar. We added the lists for items that are small and don’t require significant concern about reviewing the product – things like toiletries, desk supplies, etc. Lists provide an easy way to grab a bunch of things at once.
  • Third are search recommendations. For some items, there can be a lot of personal preference involved – things like bedding, posters, bikes, etc. The search recommendations provide a link to Amazon with many options that meet the need but you can personalize for your personality.

For example, here is a screenshot from a college in Texas: Texas A&M University.

For those parents who are concerned about the coronavirus, Campus Arrival has also included recommendations for Covid-19 prep:

Sincelaptops are a major asset while you’re at college, their recommendations help you with the specific hardware requirements for your school and major. They search the school’s official site. Each school is different in terms of the info they provide. Some schools provide general specifications. Some give major’s specific needs. And some schools don’t provide any recommendations.

Campus Arrival includes the links to the official school recommendations so you can reference them (in the Sources section of the school page). With the hardware specifications, they use CNET extensively to make product recommendations. They also consider Amazon reviews and will search other technology sites to make sure the products are high quality.

Campus Arrival also provides a list of prohibited items and posts the links to the sources they used to compile their lists. This takes the guesswork out of trying to prepare for move-in day and helps parents shop confidently and easily for their student.

If you don’t see you your college on their sight, you can make a recommendation for them to add it their list. While you wait for your specific school to be added, you can check out their General Recommendations list. This list is a combination of all the items they have collected from all the schools completed. It’s a good start and provides everything you’ll need.

If you have a college-bound student, take advantage of Campus Arrival’s convenient service to help you and your student prepare for move-in day.

This is a sponsored post

dorm life, Sponsored posts

Preparing for College Move-In Day (with a little help from OCM)

 

college move-in day

It’s already July and that means just a few short months left until college move-in day. Parents and students are crossing off tasks on their to-do lists as the summer progresses. At the top of the list is deciding what to take to college. My daughter, needless to say, overpacked. In her anticipation of moving so far away from home (over 2000 miles), she packed up her entire room to take with her. Once we arrived, we quickly discovered that her dorm was not equipped to house every pair of shoes, all her clothes, all her stuffed animals, every single picture frame and multiple snow globes.

It’s tempting to overpack for college. It’s also tempting to buy everything you see when shopping for dorm supplies. Check with your college for a list of dorm items you can and cannot bring. Most colleges (see Texas A&M) have this list posted on their website. But remember—just because you CAN bring something it doesn’t mean you will need it. College dorms are small and the philosophy of “less is more” will help you avoid overpacking.

Dorm essentials

One of the life lessons your new college student should learn is the difference between wants and needs. You can start by teaching them to narrow down their dorm essentials. It can easily become a massive list if you purchase every item on any dorm list. They may want everything on the list, but they don’t necessarily need everything.

Here’s a short list of items they will definitely need:

  • Bedding—You can’t just bring sheets from home. Dorm bed sizes are different. These are items you will have to purchase.
  • Clothing—Don’t bring every coat in your closet or every t-shirt in your drawer. Space is at a minimum.
  • Bathroom supplies—Sharing showers and bathrooms means you don’t want to forget your flip flops and a plastic caddy to carry your essentials back and forth from dorm to shower.
  • Electronics—Laptops and headphones are essential. Laptops can double for streaming entertainment. Don’t forget the power strips!

Simplifying the process

When my daughter attended college, we scrambled to find information regarding dorm essentials and packing tips. Today, there are so many options available: shipping directly to a dorm, packaged items in bulk to save, and much more. Parents can now easily prepare for move-in day by taking advantage of some of these options.

One such option is OCM’s Complete Campus Pack. By purchasing this all-in-one pack, you can save over $100 if you were to purchase these items separately. Here’s what you get:

  • 2 extra-long flat sheets
  • 2 extra-long fitted sheets
  • 2 standard pillowcases
  • 2 extra-fluffy machine washable pillows
  • 1 extra-long reversible comforter
  • 1 extra-long quilted mattress pad
  • 1 extra-long egg crate pad
  • 1 extra-long microplush blanket
  • 2 all-cotton bath towels
  • 2 matching cotton hand towels
  • 2 matching cotton wash cloths
  • 2 oversized bath sheets
  • 1 laundry bag
  • 2 underbed storage solutions
  • 1 bedside storage caddy

 college move-in dayLearn more about the OCM Complete Campus Pak

 

As you prepare for college move-in day and start checking off items on your college packing list, make sure to consider OCM. They offer families convenience, products that are university-approved and a great value. Also, a percentage of your purchase goes directly back to support your student’s school.

Want to win one of these Complete Campus Packs? Head over to my Facebook page and leave me a comment. At the end of the week (July 6) I will choose a winner! Good luck!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

For nearly 40 years, OCM has been the approved, official partner and endorsed sponsor for more than 900 college campuses and 1,500 campus organizations across the U.S. serving as a one-stop shop for affordable, college-approved dorm room supplies, care packages, and other college essentials. Students and parents can visit the new website at ocm.com to shop over 10,000 college-approved products, such as twin XL dorm bedding sets guaranteed to fit any dorm bed, dorm decor, bath sets, graduation frames, care packages, and more. Additionally, every OCM purchase sends dollars back to the student’s school for campus programming, and donations to more than a dozen local and non-profit organizations. To date, OCM has helped more than 6 million students and families and have sent $23M back to schools.

This is a sponsored post.

 

Gift ideas, graduation, Sponsored posts, tech gadgets

Searching for the Perfect Graduation Gift? Check Out the New Google Pixelbook

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and the reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card.

google pixelbook

Graduation is just around the corner and parents and family are already thinking about the perfect gift to award their hard-working high school graduate and soon-to-be college student. Since tech gifts are always at the top of anyone’s list and your student will certainly need a sparkling new laptop when entering college, here’s an excellent option—the Google Pixelbook.

Not only will your student love the laptop’s versatility, but Pixelbook is the first laptop with the Google Assistant built in. It’s easily accessible via the dedicated Google Assistant key on the keyboard, or by using the “Ok Google” wake word your student is already familiar with. He can even access it using the Pixelbook Pen. Google Assistant will be extremely helpful with research and studying while in college.

What will your student like?

First of all, your student will love the sleek design of this high performance Chromebook. At just 10.3mm, Pixelbook is Google’s thinnest laptop ever. The lightweight design makes it easily portable, which is extremely appealing to students who will be carrying it from classroom to classroom.

In addition to its lightweight design, its versatility will be appealing to any student. The 360 degree touchscreen will adjust to whatever he is doing either in or out of class. He can sketch or edit photos with the Pixelbook Pen, take notes in class, and stay productive with GSuite apps like Google Docs, Google Drive, and Gmail. During his downtime, he can enjoy on or offline access to movies and TV shows using apps like Google Play Movies and YouTube Red.

Every student values speed and dependability when it comes to a laptop. Pixelbook’s ready to go at a moment’s notice. It starts up in under ten seconds, stays fast, and has a fast-charging, all-day battery that gives your student up to ten hours of usage from a single charge.

google pixelbook graduation

What will you like?

With Chrome OS, your student will always have the latest security with software that automatically updates in the background. You can rest assured that your student’s information will be protected as he goes online. This will give you peace of mind.

In addition, your student can set the laptop to automatically backup, alleviating you of the worry that he will lose any important or critical documents or treasured photos stored on his computer.

What you need to know

Now that you have the “skinny” on this great graduation gift, here are a few things you need to know:

  • The Pixelbook Pen is sold as a separate accessory, and is subject to availability.
  • Auto-updates and auto-backup require an internet connection.
  • Battery performance is based on a mix of standby, web browsing and other use. Charging time requires a battery to be at least 5% charged, the device to be inactive, and use of included charger. Battery performance is based on a mix of standby, web browsing and other use. Actual results may vary.

Purchase before April 7 and receive $100 off the cost of the laptop when purchasing from Best Buy.

SAT, Sponsored posts, test prep

Did You Know the SAT Can Help Your Student Find and Win Scholarships?

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This post is sponsored and written in partnership with the College Board.

SAT

With college tuition high, families are searching for ways to pay for their teenager’s college education. The SAT can connect your teen to scholarships and merit aid that can make his or her dream university more affordable. Many colleges use a student’s SAT score to award merit aid, with many automatic scholarships based on a student’s score.

SAT Suite of Assessments

The SAT Suite of Assessments connects your son or daughter to colleges and scholarship programs that recognize academic achievement and award scholarships based on that achievement. Students who take the SAT can opt in to what the College Board calls the “Student Search Service” to make their names and information available to colleges and scholarship programs.

In addition to providing information to colleges, the College Board has increased access to millions in combined awards through the PSAT/NMSQT for low-income and minority students through partnerships with scholarship providers like the American Indian Graduate Center and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

College merit aid

Colleges provide merit aid to students who excel academically, including those who score well on the SAT. The specific requirements of these scholarships will vary from college to college. Your teen can make the most of his or her SAT score by finding guaranteed SAT scholarships—scholarships awarded based on the SAT score. Colleges often use other criteria like GPA and class rank combined with the SAT score to determine these awards.

For these scholarships, your teen may not be required to submit any extra application information, but in some cases, he or she will have to apply by a certain deadline to be guaranteed the scholarship. Your teen should check each individual college website for the full information.

For example, Colorado State University offers an automatic $4000 scholarship per year to a student who scores 1490 or higher on the SAT with a 4.0 GPA. Students attending Texas Tech University with an SAT score of 1400 or higher, a 3.5 GPA and in the top 10% of their class receive $6000 for up to four years with a one-time award of $4000.

Colleges look for students who will succeed in a rigorous college academic environment. Typically, students who earn high SAT scores demonstrate that ability. Coupled with a strong GPA and other application criteria, SAT scores help colleges ascertain a student’s ability to do well in college. Colleges award these students by providing them with merit aid scholarships.

Note: Don’t forget the regular registration deadline for the March SAT is February 9th. Register now at the Official SAT Registration website. And, there’s still time for your student to study for the upcoming March SAT by using Khan Academy’s FREE SAT prep.

SAT, Sponsored posts, test prep

Why Your Student Should Take Advantage of Free SAT Prep

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This post is sponsored and written in partnership with the College Board.

free test prep

Before your student ever enters college, there are college-related expenses. Test registration fees, college application fees, AP test fees, college visit expenses and more. For the average middle-class family, budgeting for these expenses can be difficult. Add to these the cost of paying for a test prep tutor and your family budget will explode.

Why pay for test prep when the College Board and Khan Academy have partnered to provide free test prep for every student willing to study for the SAT? Save your hard-earned money for college tuition instead.

Why choose free test prep?

Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy is the best way to prepare for the test. It was created by the makers of the test and offers all students free customized practice. Students can link their PSAT/NMSQT results to Khan Academy or take diagnostic quizzes to get personalized practice exercises to improve their score. Their personalized study plan will show them the areas where they need the most work and turn those weaknesses into strengths. There are also 8 practice tests on Official SAT Practice, so students have plenty of opportunities to prep for the test and improve their skills.

What are the benefits of this free test prep?

A recent study shows that students who practice for 20 hours on Khan Academy gained an average of 115 points from the PSAT/NMSQT to SAT compared to those students who did not use Official SAT Practice. More than 16,000 students in the class of 2017 who used Official SAT Practice saw score gains of 200 points or more.

Not to mention—it’s FREE! Great test prep from the makers of the test.

How does this free test prep work?

Your student gets a personalized practice plan using Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy. Khan Academy uses her PSAT scores and diagnostic quizzes to pinpoint the skills she needs to study and improve her score. The Official SAT Practice will guide her through the personalized lessons with video lessons that explain problems and quizzes to test her progress along the way. Your student can move at her own pace and have plenty of time to master each skill.

What are the benefits of prepping for the SAT?

Students who take the time to prep for the SAT will certainly reap the rewards. Preparing for any test certainly produces a better outcome. They will know what to expect on test day. Building confidence is key. Good test scores give your student a leg up in the application process. Colleges also may use these scores as a factor when awarding merit aid.

There is certainly time before the March SAT test for your student to begin test prep. Have your student go online now and register for the test and while she is there, start taking advantage of the College Board’s free prep through Khan Academy.

Sponsored posts, test prep

Stressed About the SAT? Relax!

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This post is sponsored and written in partnership with the College Board.

Parents of college-bound teenagers love to compare notes. They discuss college choice, essay frustration and of course, test prep. Has your son taken the SAT yet? Did he do well? Is he happy with his score? How many times is he taking it? Are you and he stressed about the test?

It’s only natural for parents to ask these questions. SAT test-related anxiety is very real. Students are stressed because they feel their entire future is riding on how well they do on the exam. Parents are stressed because their students are stressed and want them to succeed. Both parents and students often feel the anxiety is simply part of the process and there is nothing they can do to relieve it. This is not true.

With the right knowledge and preparation, anxiety can easily become a non-issue for you and your student. Three factors can help remove the stress surrounding the test and help prepare your student for the March SAT.

Perspective

Let’s face it—test scores are an important part of the college application; but the key word here is “part”. Colleges use the SAT score as a tool to evaluate the student’s readiness to attend college. However, they also use your student’s GPA, his or her essay, the quality of their academic performance, extra-curriculars and other factors. They look at the whole student—not just a test score. Keeping this top of mind should remove some of the stress and pressure.

If you want your student to feel relaxed and confident, remind him that you’re proud of the work he is doing and you have every confidence that he will succeed and get an amazing education. He is, of course, more than a test score!

Preparation

Students know that taking any test without studying or preparing can be recipe for disaster. The same rings true for  taking the SAT. The more time your student spends studying and preparing, the less anxiety he will feel on test day. Fortunately, there is  free Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy available online for every student. Your student should take advantage of these resources and allocate the time to study and prepare. It’s important to remember: preparation prevents panic and it leads to confidence and score growth!

Practice

Familiarity breeds confidence. Once you are familiar with a task, it’s easier to tackle it the second time. Practice tests are available for a reason: they help students become familiar with the test. Start the SAT prep process early and encourage your student to take the timed, realistic practice tests. When test day arrives, he can take the test with confidence.

Keep all these points in mind and you and your student will be more relaxed and confident on test day. Anxiety and stress are real, but they don’t have to be a problem when you follow these guidelines.

Don’t forget to register by February 9th for the March SAT to avoid late registration penalties.

 

college books, Sponsored posts

Textbooks Made Easy

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This post is sponsored by Barnes & Noble. All content and opinions expressed here are my own.

textbooks

When my first child went to college, I almost died when I got the bill for her textbooks. Some of them cost close to $200, and the total cost for all her textbooks the first year was close to $1,500. I was not prepared for this added expense. At the time, students were forced to buy books from the bookstore without many other options available. Even used textbooks were pricey and some professors used new books that weren’t available used, but the times have certainly changed.

Students can now purchase new and used textbooks at huge discounts or rent them with flexible rental periods. Once they are done with the course, they can sell the books for cash and recoup some of the cost. With the help of Barnes & Noble’s textbook program, it’s a win-win for parents and students.

Below is a screenshot of an art history textbook. As you can see, when you click on the book’s title, you’re given three options: new, used, or rent. In addition, you have the option of purchasing the book in the marketplace from users who are also selling it.

textbooks

New Textbooks

It’s a shock when your student’s professor decides to use a new textbook and you see the cost. New textbooks can be pricey, but Barnes & Noble has a large selection of new textbooks available. They offer low prices, so you can get the most for your money. Their textbooks are listed up to 30% off sticker price, plus they offer free shipping on all new textbook orders over $25. Check out their huge selection of new textbooks here.

Used Textbooks

Used textbooks are your best bargain when available, and Barnes & Noble sells only the highest quality used books. It’s just like purchasing a used car: you aren’t paying the high sticker prices, but you’re getting a high-quality book at a great price–some up to 90% off. You can search for used textbooks here.

Rented Textbooks

Why buy when you can rent? It makes sense, especially since the book will only be used for one semester. My daughter chose to save only the books that applied to her major and renting would have been an excellent option for those required courses that didn’t interest her. At Barnes & Noble, there are thousands of textbooks available to rent with flexible periods up to 130 days. Your student can extend the rental period or opt to purchase the book at any time. Once they are finished with their course, they can ship it back for free! Check out their selection of rentals here.

Selling Your Textbooks

Even if you must purchase a new textbook, you can sell it back if it’s in good condition to Barnes & Noble and recoup some of the cost. They provide prepaid shipping labels. For details on which books they will accept and what type of condition they need to be in, click here.

When it comes to paying for college, most parents plan for tuition, room and board. It’s added expenses like books that can put a strain on your budget. By using these available options, you should be able to cut textbook costs and use some of that money for more important things like a plane ticket for Parents’ Weekend!

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Sponsored posts

How Do You Choose a College?

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choose a collegeTeenagers. They have such a simplistic view of life. When you ask many of them about college, they reply, “All I need is a degree”. They don’t know where they want to attend or how to choose a college. Many haven’t even thought about it until senior year.

How DO you choose a college? Do you choose it with your heart and not your head? Partially. Is it all in a name? Not necessarily. Is about going to a college close to home? Possibly. Is it about finding a college with Greek life? Could be. All these factors could play into your student’s college choice, but before you randomly choose a college that is famous; or that your student’s friend is attending; or is affordable, you need to do your research.

Here are some key factors you should consider before you make that college list.

The cost

The cost of the college is certainly a consideration. However, it should not be the only one. Most college sticker prices are not the cost you will pay. Expensive colleges aren’t necessarily the best fit for your student. Before you make that college list, however, discuss with your student what you will be willing to pay and add colleges that fall close to or below that figure. Applying to a college that is beyond your family’s reach financially will only cause heartache if your student is accepted and you can’t afford to pay.

Financial aid

If financial aid is a concern, you should search for colleges that offer high percentages of financial aid, such as Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, offering financial aid to 84% of undergraduates, with the average financial aid package around $20,090.1 Facts and figures like this can narrow down the choices. Colleges that offer very little financial aid might not be a good fit for your student who needs help with college costs.

College majors offered

Your student may be interested in studying Asian History (like my son did); but is that a major that will be employable after graduation? For my son, it was not. Some may say that a degree is a degree, and on some levels many companies are simply looking for that diploma. But why spend four years studying something you won’t be able to use when you pursue a career?

In the current issue of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges 2014, you will find “11 Hot Majors That Can Lead to a Great Job.”2 If your student leans in any of these directions look for a college that has degrees in these fields:

  1. Biomedical Engineering
  2. Biometrics
  3. Forensic Science
  4. Computer Game Design
  5. Cybersecurity
  6. Data Science
  7. Business Analytics
  8. Petroleum Engineering
  9. Public Health
  10. Robotics
  11. Sustainability

Exploring the ROI (Return on Investment) of various careers is an important part of choosing a college.

Professor to student ratio

If your student has trouble focusing in class, is intimidated by large crowds, and needs more personal instruction to be academically successful, a large state university might need to be ruled out. There are plenty of small liberal arts colleges with great academic records and majors that would be a better fit for your student. When my daughter was choosing a college, our decision was highly dependent on this factor alone. Once we had found colleges that had low professor to student ratios, we were able to look at other key factors in making the decision.

Selectivity

Let’s face it. Everyone wants to go to Harvard. It’s the oldest and most prestigious university in the country and it is #2 in U.S. News rankings. Its name is instantly recognizable and equated with excellence. Unfortunately, Harvard is highly selective. The college offered admission to 5.9% of applicants this year. If your student doesn’t have all A’s and perfect SAT scores, Harvard is not for him.

However, there are many fine colleges that give credence to hard work and commitment. W. Kent Barnds, vice president of enrollment at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where the average GPA was 3.17, makes the point:3

I think really, to be quite honest, most colleges and universities are delighted to work with the student who has a good work ethic and has taken difficult classes and has earned that B average.

College truly is for everyone. If your student is an average student, don’t despair. Look for the colleges that will recognize his potential and see him as a viable applicant. Better yet, look for the colleges that he would be a top applicant in the applicant pool. This translates into more merit aid in the financial aid package.

What else should you consider?

In addition to these key factors, you might also want to consider location, student services, graduation rates, alumni network, study abroad programs, and available internships.

There is the emotional factor as well that responds to the college surroundings. Rebecca Ridings, class of 2013 says, “I followed my sister to John Brown University and was struck by the beauty of the campus’s blooming dogwoods and its peacefulness”. Yet another current college student, Isha Pandya, class of 2016, notes when speaking of Bryn Mawr College, “The school’s beautiful 19th-century stone buildings, green lawns and cherry blossom trees help to create a welcoming environment.”4

Even with all the right information in place and gathering facts and figures, choosing a college is more than just a college on paper. Most students will tell you that they just “knew” when they set foot on a college campus that it was right for them.

For my readers—if you’re interested in purchasing a copy of U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges 2014, use the coupon code: SCHOOL25.

______________

Best Colleges 20141. Excerpted from “Directory of Colleges and Universities”: in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2014. Available at usnews.com/college14. Copyright © 2013 U.S. News & World Report, L.P.; 2 Excerpted from “11 Hot Majors That Can Lead to a Great Job” (which provides additional information, including leading colleges that offer majors in these fields); 3. Excerpted from “What If You Don’t Have All A’s?”; 4. Excerpted from “Why I Picked . . .” All quotes Used by permission of U.S. News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved. U.S. News allows republication of this excerpt without specific written permission or payment of royalties, provided that the excerpt is republished in its entirety without any modifications and includes this notice. Please contact permissions@usnews.com with any questions.

This is a paid sponsored post.

 
Sponsored posts

7 Ways to Motivate Students to Read

 

readEven with the Internet, smart phones, video games, movies and television, reading is one of the most popular and pleasurable pastimes for children and adults. Still, not all young people enjoy or value the experiences that can be had via the printed page. For parents, finding ways to get your teen to engage with written material can be a challenge, and getting those same students to develop a reading desire of their own can feel nearly impossible.

Motivating anyone to want to read is as much an art as it is a science, and even if you have training as a reading specialist it can still be difficult. If you’d like to instill a love of reading in your teen, here are seven tried-and-true ways to create the reading spark and motivate students to read.

1. Building Students’ Self-Confidence and Self-Efficacy

For some students, reading is a challenge that may have been, or still might be, a source of shame. For a less-advanced reader, spend time building their confidence. Let them know that reading isn’t about measuring up, but that even if it were, you’re convinced they’d pass muster. A belief in one’s own self-efficacy is necessary before a child can put effort toward something. As long as your student doesn’t believe they can read well, they won’t be motivated. Working with your student to master the skills of reading will also enable them to enjoy it.

2. Build Connections

Choose books and reading materials whose topics build bridges and connections with your student’s personal life. Your student has realities at home and at school that are probably wonderfully addressed in stories or essays somewhere. Find them, and encourage them to read about them.

3. Build Textual Variety

There are so many ways to read! From graphic novels and comic books to weekly magazines like Weekly Reader when they were younger, illustrated stories and biographies, you can build a variety of readable genres for your student to explore. When they see that reading is more than just black on white, their curiosity will come alive.

4. Increase Their Choices

When students have a choice of what to read, they can find ways to make deeper and more meaningful connections with the materials they choose. To that end, make sure you can supply every literary genre either by downloading books on an tablet, or by visiting a public library.

5. Build Excitement

Find the places of passion, and feed that passion with reading materials. Invite them to discuss and write about how their experiences of reading do and don’t relate to their own experiences in the world.

6. Promote Conversation

While it can be a challenge to carry on a discussion about a book with your student, it can be a tremendous experience for both of you. Ask questions about the reading that build empathy and invite reflection, and ask them questions about their reading based on the tenants of the SA

7. Share Your Own Love of Reading

Perhaps the most salient motivator of all is your own love of reading. Tell stories of narratives and memoirs that impacted you and why. If you adequately display your own deep affection for reading, it can leave an indelible mark on the students you seek to inspire.

Reading is a skill whose necessary and practical application can sometimes get in the way of its ability to provide pleasure. If you’re a parent who values your students’ reading experiences, it’s worth the effort to motivate them to develop a desire for it. Whether “Island of the Blue Dolphins” or “Diary of Anne Frank,” the written word, at times, invites readers into a stunning world, and all people should have the opportunity to visit.

 

Sponsored posts

5 Things Military Parents Should Know Before Sending Kids to College

 

military dependent
Image by “Picture Youth” from Flickr Creative Commons.

Being a service member or spouse of a service member with growing children is extremely difficult, particularly when it comes to preparing your kids for college. Military parents face the challenge of nurturing their children’s intellectual growth and preparing them for higher education while coping with deployments and frequent relocation. Fortunately, there are ways military parents can successfully prepare their children for college. Here are five things military parents should know as they assist their kids in making this transition.

Military Dependents Are Eligible for College Funding

With all of the challenges that come with being in a military family, eliminating tuition costs from your list of concerns will be tremendously helpful. There are many options available for military dependents seeking college funding. For example, military dependents may receive college tuition assistance through the Survivors & Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) program. This benefit goes beyond providing tuition assistance by offering financial support for on-the-job training, certification programs and apprenticeships. This benefit is available for military dependents of veterans who have died or have been rated as permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability.

Those who are not eligible for DEA may still get help for their college tuition costs through the Post 9/11 GI Bill transfer program. Veterans who are eligible for benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill may choose to transfer part or all of their educational benefits to their children.

How to Spot a Military-Friendly College

While there are many benefits available to assist your child with tuition costs, not all colleges participate in these programs. Look for institutions that support programs such as the Post 9/11 GI Bill and understand the unique needs of military dependents on campus. A military-friendly institution is also one that will offer flexibility with regard to college classes by providing opportunities for evening and online courses. For many military dependents, frequent relocation does not end after high school graduation. Many children of service members wish to remain in close proximity to their parents while they transition into college life. Finding a school with a solid online program is a great way to support this decision. Many colleges also offer tuition discounts for military dependents, simply for having a parent who is a veteran or service member. These are the kinds of colleges that will not only support your child financially, but will also have a basic understanding of the unique transitional needs that exist for military dependents.

The Value of School Guidance Counselors

Being in a military family often means that life gets hectic, and getting the help of a school guidance counselor for your child’s academic needs can be extremely helpful. When kids in military families transfer to various schools, it can be difficult to keep track of all of the courses that are still needed in order to graduate. Guidance counselors have the inside scoop on important factors such as credit transfers, and can help identify college prep courses that will give your child a jump start. Counselors can also help identify any mental health concerns your child might have. Research indicates that military dependents may be at an increased risk for certain mental disorders, and intervening early is the best way to meet your child’s mental and cognitive needs.

The Impact of Military Life on Academics

New and valuable research continues to explore the influence military life has on children of service members. The results of these studies show that some children actually gain useful qualities such as resilience and open-mindedness as a result of living in a military family.  Skills such as these are undoubtedly useful in the college setting and will be beneficial to your child through school and beyond.

Other research, however, indicates that the stresses of deployment and relocation can inhibit your child’s cognitive and academic abilities. For example, a study by the Rand Corporation reveals that frequent moves can sometimes lead to social and academic disengagement. By being aware of the risks your children face in these areas, you can better prepare them for academic success in college.

Saving for College Early

Even with the college benefits available to military dependents, you may find that your child has additional tuition costs. The best way to prepare for these expenses is to start saving early. Consider setting up a monthly automatic transfer into a college fund. Another great way to save is to put any unexpected sources of income into a college account. Transferring money from tax refunds or bonuses is a helpful way to save without experiencing a financial burden. Encourage your child to participate in this process by contributing money from an allowance or part-time job.

Sending a child to college is difficult for all parents, but military families can face additional obstacles. Consider these five tips as you work to make your child’s transition from home to college a smooth and successful endeavor.