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‘Twas the Night Before the SATs
It’s the night before Christmas and all through your house you’re putting college prep and studying for the SAT aside and enjoying the holiday.
The Night Before Christmas is a classic story we have all read to our kids throughout the years, but here’s a twist from Dr. Nancy Berk, author of College Bound and Gagged. I hope it gives you a smile today while you’re wrapping, backing, and listening to Christmas music.
Are You Thinking About College During the Holidays?
Go ahead. You know you are. You try and shove it to the back of your mind but it’s there–lurking in the distance. Even if your son or daughter has completed their apps and received early acceptance, there is so much more to do. But don’t let the to-do lists and the looming deadlines spoil your holidays.
Before you start your holiday baking, finish wrapping your presents, and gather around the tree with your family, here are just a few tips to help you deal with the college prep stress:
In the Charlie Brown Christmas, a song rings out, “Christmas is time is here; happiness and cheer”. If only. Unfortunately, the holidays for most are anything but cheerful. We have replaced holiday cheer and happiness with stress. And if you’re a parent of a college-bound teen, add all the tasks involved during school breaks and your holiday stress goes through the roof.
Add to the stress of the holidays and the entire family could combust. Never fear…help is here! Here are 3 tips about stress and how to deal with it.
Mom-Approved Tips: Stop stressing about college rejections
It’s that time of year. As the New Year approaches and regular admission dates loom in the very close future, parents begin stressing about college rejection. Although not as much as their kids do. Probably the most stressful time of senior year is waiting to hear from the colleges and dreading the wrong response. Why does this happen and what has caused everyone to be so stressed?
Mom-Approved Tips: 6 Stressful college tasks (and how to keep from freaking out)
It’s no surprise the middle name of college-bound teens is “stress”. According to a recent survey, 76 percent of college-bound students say they are stressed. If you live with one, you’re stressed too; and not just you, but your family as well. Granted, there are plenty of reasons to be stressed. And plenty of reasons why it’s impossible to avoid feeling stress (try as you might).
Wednesday’s Parent: 5 Tips to help with application stress
There is no greater stress than application stress. Every component breeds stress: standardized tests, GPAs, the essay, and even the recommendation letters. It’s no wonder students are feeling the stress when they start the application process. As a parent, it’s difficult for you to watch the stress levels increase as it gets closer to application time. And when stress levels increase with your student, the family stress goes up as well.
Need more tips? Head over to Wendy’s blog and read: 7 Holiday Stressbusters
How to Make the Most Out of Your Education
Education is important, from your early days in kindergarten all the way to the study you pursue later in life. Everyone is different though, and everyone studies for different reasons and different goals. No matter what your ultimate pursuit is though, there are a number of ways to make sure you really are getting the most out of your education.
Choose Pathways
Sometimes the slow path is the best path. People think trying to cram as many subjects into a three-year degree is the best way to go, but this type of workload and stress may actually be hindering your education. There are a variety of other flexible pathways available today, including colleges like Evocca, as well as TAFE courses and distance learning that can develop basic skills. By starting here, you can build up your knowledge gradually in your own time.
Think Long Term
Long term goals are what everyone should have in mind when it comes to their education. What are you going to get out of this? Where will you be able to apply this knowledge? To get the most from your education, sit down and pull apart what you’re studying and compare it, point to point, with what you want to do. By doing this you will be able to more clearly see what other subjects you need to add, or what might actually be irrelevant to what you want to learn. Some subjects will always be boring, but if they are more likely to help you in the long term, do them now.
Be Practical
Yes, working towards a diploma or a degree is going to give you the qualifications you need for a career, but it rarely gives you the practical experience to push you even further ahead. Many courses now make work experience a requirement, but not all of them. You have to put yourself out there if you want to show that you’re serious about a career. Volunteer on weekends for whatever is available, whether it be admin, as a coordinator, or a coffee runner. Every piece of life and industry experience counts when it comes to getting the most from your education and furthering your career prospects.
Self Educate
The best way to discover answers is to always be questioning, researching and recording. If you don’t question you don’t learn. Read widely when you can, and not just the books or journals that have been recommended by your tutor. Do internet searches, find educational institutes, locations or industry professionals on the subject you’re studying and further your knowledge that way. You have to be willing to always take it that one step further.
Society today is becoming more educated every year. Because of this, job prospects and industry expectations are at a high, and are therefore becoming hugely competitive. Really taking an analytical approach to your education, balancing it with experience and pushing yourself to always be learning from someone or something, is what is ultimately going to get you ahead.
Have you made the most of your education? If not, what areas do you think you could have improved on? Discuss your answers below.
Wednesday’s Parent: A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet
Those famous words from Shakespeare in his play Romeo and Juliet (a rose by any other name would smell as sweet) aren’t just about romance. They can be applied to college—yes college. Go to any parents meeting (especially with senior parents) and the name dropping is everywhere. “My son got accepted to Stanford. My daughter is applying to Harvard. My son has been offered a scholarship to Princeton. It’s impossible to avoid it and it’s impossible to not let a little jealously and insecurity cross your mind as you hear about other children’s accomplishments.
But wait. Does it really matter WHERE your son goes to college? Some would argue with me. Is a big name college like Harvard or Yale able to offer a better education than say Mary Hardin Baylor (a small liberal arts college in Texas)? Is an Ivy League college going to ensure your son or daughter a starting salary above those who graduate from the University of Texas or Colorado State? Some would say yes.
Personally, as I’ve said multiple times: where your son or daughter goes to college is not as important as how they choose to take advantage of the education. When my daughter was in Boston, she knew many Harvard students that simply skated by in their classes and told her “the hardest thing about Harvard is getting in.” She took classes offering her hands-on experience in the business community and a senior level course that gave them actual real-life marketing experience helping startup companies. And this was from a small liberal arts college.
Bottom line: it’s not about the name, it’s about the amount of effort your son or daughter puts into the education. Your son can go to a big name college and if he doesn’t apply himself, the education is a waste of your money. With college, as in life, you get out of it what you put into it.
Read Wendy’s post: Savvy Shoppers Have an Advantage in the College Process
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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!
The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.
Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.
iPad Apps for College Prep
College prep has certainly changed over the years. Twenty years ago you trudged to the library spending hours foraging through books looking for college facts, test prep, and scholarships. Ten years ago, with the internet explosion, you could do most of your research online and even apply to some colleges. Today, you can do almost everything online: search for scholarships, apply to colleges, study for standardized tests, and get essay help and organization. It certainly is a high-tech world.
The Changing Face of College Prep
I can’t even imagine what it will be like when my grandsons apply to college. If you don’t keep up with the times, you’re going to be left in the dust. With the explosion of apps on portable devices, the face of college prep has changed yet again. Companies are using apps to help students organize, write essays, study for standardized tests, understand financial aid, plan college visits and more.
BestCollegesOnline.com has compiled a list of iPad apps for college prep. I felt it was a good list and want to share it with you.
25 iPad Apps Changing College Prep
You might also like my College Prep App Recap post
Mom-Approved Tips: Insist Your Student Graduate in 4 Years or Less
Did you know that at most public universities, only 19 percent of full-time students earn a bachelor’s degree in four years? Even at state flagship universities — selective, research-intensive institutions — only 36 percent of full-time students complete their bachelor’s degree on time.
Nationwide, only 50 of more than 580 public four-year institutions graduate a majority of their full-time students on time. Some of the causes of slow student progress are inability to register for required courses, credits lost in transfer and remediation sequences that do not work. Studying abroad can also contribute to added time and credits lost when abroad. According to a recent report from CompleteCollege.org some students take too few credits per semester to finish on time. The problem is even worse at community colleges, where 5 percent of full-time students earned an associate degree within two years, and 15.9 percent earned a one- to two-year certificate on time.
What is lost when a student doesn’t graduate in 4 years?
MONEY! My good friend, and college counselor, Paul Hemphill of Planning for College put it into perspective recently. (See chart to the right). It’s not just the cost of the education that your student loses, but the earning potential over the additional year or years. Nothing speaks louder than cold, hard numbers.
What can parents do to ensure on-time graduation?
It’s not a difficult task, although the numbers might speak otherwise. Taking control of the process and making a plan will go a long way in ensuring on-time graduation
Show your student the numbers—Nothing speaks louder than showing your student a loss of thousands of dollars in earning potential if they don’t graduate on time.
Help them plan their major and degree plan, ensuring it can be done in 4 years—Help them plan, ask questions of their advisors, and have solid discussions about their career and/or major.
Encourage AP testing and dual-credit courses—With AP testing and dual-credit courses, a student can enter college with multiple credits out of the way. The cost of these tests and courses pales in comparison to the cost of a college credit and extra money paid if they don’t graduate on time. It’s conceivable that with the right planning, a student can graduate in less than 4 years.
Attend community college for the basics during the summer before college—Not only will your student get some courses out of the way at a cheaper rate, they will enter college with credits under their belt.
Use some tough love—Explain the importance of graduating on time and explain that you will support them for 4 years only. After that, the cost is on them. Nothing motivates a teen more than realizing they will have to pay for college themselves.
Below is a neat little graphic (courtesy of Paul Hemphill) breaking it down for you.
Scholarship Friday: Scholarship Advice from the Experts
This week’s post might be the best Scholarship Friday yet! On Wednesday night, Smart College Visit hosted a chat giving parents and students tips to search for and apply to scholarships. The chat was hosted by Scholarship Mom, Monica Matthews (@aidscholarship) and was rich with great tips from guest Tamara Krause (@scholarshipguru) of ScholarshipExperts.com. To add to the mix, other college experts chimed in and what you have is a one-stop transcript of scholarship advice.
Take the time to read the transcript, jot down the tips, and follow the links. It’s not every tweet, but it’s the best of the best! And be encouraged–applying to scholarships really does result in some wins. But as with anything, perseverance and persistence is the key!
Wednesday’s Parent: Talking to Your Kids About Financing College
I’m reposting an article I wrote last year because it’s timely and applies to today’s Wednesday’s Parent topic: finances and college. I hope you find it helpful.
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If you have a college-bound teen you’re well aware of the cost of college–it’s high. In a recent story in Business Week, one graduate confessed she had given up on her student loan debt of $186,000. She is not alone. With the nation struggling under a $1 trillion student debt crisis, stories like hers are nothing uncommon. For the first time ever, the national student loan default rate exceeds the credit card delinquency rate, and so long as student loans remain one of the few types of debt that can’t be discharged in bankruptcy, chances are the situation won’t improve any time soon.
As their parent, it’s up to you to make sure they don’t fall prey to debt that they cannot repay after graduation. Before they ever accept an offer of admission, you need to talk to them about financing college. In my Parents Countdown to College Crash Course I call it “the money talk”.
Following are a few tips to help broach that uncomfortable topic with your college-bound teen:
The cold, hard facts
The first thing you need to discuss is finances: what you are willing to pay and what you expect them to contribute toward college expenses even if it’s just acquiring scholarships. Discuss the ramifications of student debt and talk openly about which colleges would fit into the family’s financial picture. Paint the picture clearly and explain to them this is a large investment and needs to be treated as such: you expect them to do their part and you expect them to study and to graduate.
The difference between wants and needs
This discussion is just as important as discussing the cost of the college education. When a student understands the difference between the two they can make financial decisions based of this criteria. Is it something they need or simply something they want? Don’t assume they know the difference. Most teens believe everything they want is a need. If they learn this lesson before going to college and living on their own, it will save them overdraft fees, past due notices and much heartache when they are controlled by their debt.
The college choice
Be realistic. If their dream college is out of reach financially think long and hard before you apply. This may be their first time to make a choice between what they want and what is best financially. It is a tough pill to swallow now, but they will thank you when they graduate with minimal or zero debt. The college they choose not only needs to be a perfect fit for them socially and academically; it also needs to be a perfect fit financially.
The budget
This is the perfect time to talk to your college-bound teen about creating and sticking to a budget. You may have tuition, room and board covered but there are always added expenses. Budgeting for those added expenses means there won’t be any surprises when the bills come due. Need a list of what those extras might be? Check out this article I wrote for Smart College Visit about the extras beyond tuition.
If you can’t sit them down for a time (we know how hard it is to even share a meal together), do it in segments. Just make sure you do it before they start applying to college. If you don’t, it’s going to be an uncomfortable discussion when they get accepted to their dream college and it’s not affordable for you and your student
Read Wendy’s Post: Formula and Tools to Calculate College Costs
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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!
The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.
Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.
Can Writers Help In Your Own Research
Writing your own research takes time and skills to come up with a topnotch research work that will earn you a high mark from your professor. But with the limited time along with the other obligations that you have to do, sometimes it is almost impossible for you to handle things on your own and meet the deadline set by your professors. But now, you can set aside your worries especially since there ways for you to get on with your research with the help of expert writers.
How Can Expert Writers Help?
Availing professional writing services is common nowadays considering the fact that there are really times when you just simply cannot finish your research paper. Instead of stressing yourself out, you can definitely ask for professional help. It is just a matter of finding a reputable and reliable writing service provider known to provide topnotch writing services.
So how do writers can help you in your own research? For one, you do not have to do everything on your own. Suppose that you already have written a portion of your paper then you can just ask for a writer to help you continue the other parts. If ever you really cannot do it, you do not have to worry since you can just submit all of the details. Writers will do the research and collect the relevant information to come up with a comprehensive and well-researched content. From research to proper and complete citations, expert writers know exactly the kind of research work that would meet academic standards.
Competent Writers from Best Essay Tips
At Bestessaytips.com, you are guaranteed of the best writers in the industry. The company only hires the best and the most skilled writers to handle the projects. Whether you are in need of an essay or a well-researched content, writers can handle the job with ease and with confidence as all of them are skilled in various subject areas. Many of the company’s writers even have Master’s or Phd degrees.
Save Time and Money
Why tire and stress yourself out as to how you can submit your research work on time and get the highest grade possible? Bestessaytips.com gives you the option to save time and money. At least, you never have to worry about your research work. You can just submit the details of the project along with the other requirements and materials that you have already acquired. The writer assigned to your research work will then create the content based on the writing parameters and based on your standards. This saves you time and allows you to focus on other things. When you just have too many things and obligations to fulfill, relying on professional writers can make things go smoothly for you.
Professionally Written and Meets Academic Standards
In writing a research work, you do not just conduct research and come up with your own points and arguments. It is also essential for you to have strong writing skills. Unfortunately, many struggle in this area especially if you are not into writing. But thanks to expert writers, you can have a research work that is completely original and professionally written. The research project is well-crafted and that would surely impress your professor. At Bestessaytips.com, every project undergoes thorough research, quality writing and editing before submitting the final draft to the client. Once you receive your research paper, you are guaranteed that there are no grammatical and spelling errors. You can submit your research work as it is. Let the best writers from Bestessaytips.com handle your research work.