All posts by Suzanne Shaffer

academics

How Sleep, Coffee and Drugs Affect the GPA

gpa

I was in Starbucks the other day and I saw a group of teenagers come in and order triple espressos before school. Now I love a good espresso every now and then, but I got the feeling this was nearly an everyday occurrence with these teens. Could this affect their GPA?

Does coffee affect your student’s ability to excel academically? What about their sleep habits or the drugs they take to stay awake?

A survey was conducted of over 1,000 current college students to determine how their sleep and energy habits affect their GPAs. Is the exhaustion that comes from an all-nighter truly the price students have to pay for good grades? Does that extra cup of coffee offer an advantage over the sleeping student? And what about prescription ADHD medications? Their findings may surprise you.

Here are some excerpts from an article and supporting graphics of the survey results by Best Mattress Brands:

Coffee

With millennials continuing to push coffee demand to record-breaking amounts, studies also continue to reveal the health benefits of the beloved beverage, so college students may see little harm in their caffeine consumption. Drinking coffee can provide an immediate rush of energy to make it to early classes or stay awake late enough to hit the books, but the craving for a boost may be more harmful than we realize. Not only is the extra caffeine in the body’s system preventing a good night’s rest –– also it can negatively impact a student’s GPA.

Our study found as students consume more daily cups of coffee, the lower their GPA becomes, on average. While coffee may provide energy and allow for extra study time, lack of sleep that may result from caffeine can take away from the body’s ability to form long-term memories.

Sleep

the less sleep a student gets, the lower his or her GPA, according to our survey results. While the scientific community still debates the exact purpose of sleep, previous studies have shown that quality sleep is vital for a healthy body and mind, especially when it comes to learning and memory. It shouldn’t be surprising then that students who sleep eight hours or more on school nights see an average GPA improvement of 5 percent over those who get five hours or fewer of sleep each night.

Skimping on sleep may masquerade as a legitimate trade for an increased GPA, but lack of sleep actually increases stress levels instead, while GPAs drop. The long-term benefits of crawling into bed sound much more rewarding than forgoing sleep to cram for another quiz.

Prescription drugs

Adderall and Ritalin have become known as “study drugs” that help students concentrate and stay awake. Although these drugs are used to treat individuals who struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, their use has spread to students trying to better their grades. But do these drugs live up to the hype?

The study again found that sleep to be a better source of energy than stimulants. The 9 percent of current college students who had a prescription for Adderall or Ritalin slept less and earned a lower GPA on average. Understandably, these drugs often correlate with certain learning disadvantages, so a lower GPA may not be surprising.

scholarships

Working To Pay For College

pay for college

Summer jobs are great for teenagers who want to save money for college. That money is great for textbooks, entertainment and other expenses. But what if your student could earn scholarship dollars while working at a part-time job during high school?

They can! Many companies award scholarships to their student employees. If your student wants to work during high school, why not cash in on some of this FREE money?

Here are just a few companies awarding scholarships and educational funds to deserving student employees:

Chick-fil-A

To kick off the 2019 scholarship announcements, Chick-fil-A surprised 12 Team Members on stage at the company’s annual conference Tuesday with the news that they were this year’s $25,000 True Inspiration Scholarship recipients. The celebration will continue throughout March as local Chick-fil-A franchise Operators present $2,500 Leadership Scholarships to 6,016 Team Members across 47 states.

Starbucks College Achievement Plan

Starbucks is committed to the success of our partners (employees). Every benefits-eligible U.S. partner working part- or full-time receives 100% tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program. Choose from over 80 diverse undergraduate degree programs, and have our support every step of the way.

Burger King Scholars Program

Employees and their families can qualify for one of the following scholarships:

  • Up to 3 James W. McLamore WHOPPER® scholarships of $50,000 granted to the most highly qualified students demonstrating leadership, substantial work experience and financial need
  • Up to 12 Regional awards of $5,000 granted to the two most qualified employees in each of six regions from the pool of eligible and complete applicants
  • One (1) Steven M. Lewis Foundation award of $5,000 granted to the most qualified U.S. Restaurants employee from the pool of eligible and submitted applicants aligned to U.S. Restaurants
  • Up to four (4) Bravokilo, Inc./Bravotampa, LLC awards of $5,000 granted to the most qualified Bravokilo, Inc./Bravotampa, LLC employees from the pool of eligible and submitted applicants aligned to Bravokilo, Inc. or Bravotampa, LLC
  • One (1) Ghai Management award of $5,000 granted to the most qualified Ghai Management employee from the pool of eligible and submitted applicants aligned to Ghai Management
  • One (1) Carrols LLC award of $5,000 granted to the most qualified Carrols LLC employee from the pool of eligible and submitted applicants aligned to Carrols LLC
  • Additional award designations as determined by Burger King Corporation, participating franchisees of the BURGER KING® system or BURGER KING℠ McLamore Foundation

Publix Tuition Reimbursement Program

The Publix tuition reimbursement program can help cover the cost of college classes. This program is available to part-time and full-time associates who are seeking graduate or undergraduate degrees. In addition, some individual courses, online programs, and technical training in appropriate areas of study can also be covered.  As long as an associate has six months of continuous service and works an average of 10 hours per week (which leaves plenty of time for studies!), they can be covered in this program. 

For a list of 36 companies who offer either scholarships or tuition reimbursement, EStudentLoan has compiled a list–click here.

The Krazy Coupon Lady has also compiled a list of companies that offer money for college is you’re an employee–click here.


college costs, college planning

Hidden Fees? Every College Has Them!

Want to know how much a college will cost you? Look on their website. The tuition, room and board is most likely clearly listed. But is that all it will cost you? If you have or had a student in college, as I did, you know that the tuition, room and board are just the beginning. There are hidden fees you might not see.

By the time you add on lab fees, student fees, dorm damage deposits, technology fees, parking and car registration, activity fees, and the elusive “miscellaneous” fees, you will add from $1000-$5000 in fees to your college bill, depending on the college.

Added to these, you can tack on the cost of books, Greek life, meal plans, and dorm, computer or health insurance to total college costs. And don’t forget travel expenses if your student chooses to attend a college far from home.

In an article in Fortune Magazine, one parent voiced her frustration with the lack of transparency related to college costs:

The fees are typically provided by the college’s bursar’s office, if requested, or listed in various places on a university’s website—but they aren’t always easy to find, says Michelle Gillespy-Goldstein, whose daughter attends the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“The lack of transparency is frustrating,” Gillespy-Goldstein says. “They tell you so many things when they’re recruiting you, but they fail to mention that piece.”

Before choosing a college, parents and students should ask for a detailed listing of additional fees involved if they aren’t listed on the website. In addition, talk to current students on the tour and ask about hidden costs they have encountered while at college.

Why do this? You don’t want any surprises when the first bill arrives.

college prep, guidance counselors

5 Ways Your High School Counselor Can Help With College Prep

You would be surprised at the amount of material that comes across your high school counselor’s desk: from scholarship opportunities, to college admissions counselor recommendation requests, to leadership positions, to volunteer opportunities. Making friends with your counselor may well be the most important and valuable relationship your teen cultivates during high school.

It’s no surprise to parents that high school counselors are busy. They juggle regular counseling duties, paperwork and college prep. Most have too many students to advise and most are required to spend so much time on paperwork that it’s impossible to speak with every student. Research shows that the average counselor to student ratio is 470-1. All the more reason to cultivate that counselor relationship and ask for help.

High school counselors are eager to help when asked and recognize their value and part in the college prep process. Here are five ways high school counselors can help with college prep:

1. Help with planning high school courses

A school counselor can guide your teen in choosing courses that will challenge them academically and prepare them for college. There is no substitute for a solid academic, college focused education. Your teen’s transcript will be the cornerstone of their college application and college admissions counselors weigh the content of that transcript to determine your teen’s ability to handle a rigorous college course load. A college education builds on the knowledge and skills that your teen has acquired during junior high and high school. Most selective colleges with the highest admission requirements look for students who have taken challenging science and math courses beyond the basics.

If you high schools offers AP (Advanced Placement) courses and exams, the counselor can recommend the courses that colleges look for on a transcript. AP courses are college level courses in approximately 16 different subjects helping students to prepare for college level work while still in high school. After the course is completed, your teen can take an AP test in the subject and many times receive college course credit. There is a difference between Honors classes and AP classes. Honors classes are advanced classes. AP classes and AP Honors classes offer the opportunity for testing once the course is completed. Having these difficult courses on your teen’s transcript communicates that they are up for the challenge of college and they can successfully complete college-level courses.

Many schools also offer an opportunity to take Dual Credit courses. Counselors should be able to provide you with information if this program is available. A dual credit course is a college course taken by a high school student for which the student earns both college and high school credit at the same time. Some courses are taught at the high school campus during high school hours while others are taught at local colleges during the day, evenings, and weekends. By participating in the dual credit program, it enables your teen to make substantial progress toward their college degree before finishing high school. Students who begin taking courses in their junior year can earn thirty or more college credits by the time they graduate from high school if they also take summer classes at the college. It is possible to earn sophomore status even before they start college full time.

2. Recommend colleges

High school counselors stay in contact with colleges and their admissions representatives. They can recommend the colleges that best fit your student’s interests, academic profile and other criteria such as size and location. Helping a student understand his or her academic standing and how it can affect the chance for admission is a key part of the college prep process. Counselors have mounds of literature about colleges and universities that can help your student choose the right route while looking at their interests and career aspirations in the process.

Counselors have information related to college fairs and on-campus meetings with college admissions representatives. These opportunities help students gather the information they need to help make an informed college selection.

3. Put you in touch with volunteer opportunities

Counselors receive information about volunteer opportunities and community service projects. Once the counselor knows your student’s areas of interest, they can put them in touch with the activities that fit those interests. Some high schools even offer academic credit for volunteer work through service learning — a program that offers hands-on learning through service to the community. To find out if your school offers service learning, talk to your school counselor.

Your student’s volunteer work illustrates your interests and character. When you list your volunteer work on your college applications, you show admission officers the value you’ll bring to their campus community. Since volunteer and community service are important aspects of the college application, be informed about these opportunities when they become available by staying in contact with your high school counselor.

4. Provide you with scholarship applications

High school counselors receive scholarship information and applications each year from those companies, organizations, and colleges offering scholarships. They provide information about the PSAT and National Merit Finalist Scholarships as well.

Students should visit their counselor regularly to inquire about any new scholarship applications their counselor has received, especially during senior year. In many cases, the counselors also have information about local scholarships, which can be hard to find online. These scholarships offer the best odds of winning for your student since few apply and the competition for the scholarship is less than widely popular national scholarships.

5. Write recommendation letters

One of a counselor’s most important responsibilities when it comes to college prep is providing a recommendation letter to the colleges. It stands to reason that if your counselor knows your student and has assisted them in college prep, they will be more likely to write a much more knowledgeable and personal recommendation letter.

My daughter and son attended a rather large high school. At the time, being uninformed and unaware, we did not understand the value of this relationship. When senior year came along she missed several scholarship opportunities because the counselor did not even know she was applying to several of the colleges. When recommendation letter time came along the counselor refused to complete her recommendation stating that she did not know my daughter well enough to write a letter for her. My daughter had to explain to several admission committees why she was not able to obtain a counselor recommendation. Spare yourself this complication by cultivating the counselor relationship.

The high school counselor relationship is a key part of the college prep process. They exist to help parents and students work toward their goals after high school—college prep is a key part of the help they provide. Start each year off with a meeting with the school counselor, ask questions, and ask for help with college prep. Utilizing this resource can help parents and students stay informed and equipped throughout the college prep process.

college guidance, college planning, Uncategorized

College Rankings Based on Value

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college rankings

I’m not a fan of college rankings. Most are bought and paid for by the colleges and always have the Ivies at the top of the lists. You should never judge a college solely on its ranking, but there is one non-profit organization that ranks colleges based on the economic value added as being the improvement in earnings and employability of graduates; measured against the total cost of the education. Quite simply, colleges are ranked on their ROI (return on investment) by the Nonprofit Educate to Career.

Of course, your student won’t base their college choice solely on this information, but these rankings can help you and your student determine the value of your educational investment.

ETC President and founder Michael R. Havis states:

“Transparency and value in higher education is paramount – parents are telling us. Accordingly, we rank colleges by the outcomes of their graduates – including jobs and salaries, graduation rates, student loan payback rates, and other factors. ETC uses sophisticated statistical techniques to control for the quality of the students (we calculate the earnings value of high SAT scores and correctively weight our model for that value). Other rankings show a correlation between the SAT/ACT scores that a school accepts and the rank of the schools. They’re really ranking the students accepted by the colleges – while we are truly ranking colleges. Also, unlike other rankings – we do not accept any data from the colleges themselves, choosing to compile our data from only publicly available sources for the sake of transparency and impartiality”.

Some of the metrics used in calculating the ETC College Rankings Index are: 

  • Percentage of graduates employed in occupations which utilize their field of study
  • Average salary earned by recent graduates, by school for each major category (adjusted for region, occupation and other variables)
  • Percentage of persons employed within one year of graduation
  • Major, referenced against similarly situated students at other institutions
  • Graduation rate and the number of years to graduate
  • Tuition- in state, net cost
  • Loan default rates
  • Other proprietary input variables which norm students to a common standard for each school and major

The ETC College Rankings Index is the standard for ranking colleges based on factors that families actually care about – ROI. Click the link to view the 2020 ETC College Rankings Index!

If you’re going to rely on rankings to make your college choice, ETC rankings are the ones to use because they are solely based on statistical data and not information the colleges provide.

financial aid

Why Complete the FAFSA?

FAFSA

October 1 is on the horizon and that means the FAFSA will be available for students to complete and file. Believe it or not, many students don’t bother completing it and that’s a decision you and your student might regret.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Only 65% of high school seniors complete the FAFSA, Why don’t more fill it out? Most either can afford college without financial aid or think they won’t qualify for financial aid. Other reasons include a lack of information — and just planning on skipping college entirely.

FAFSA

Completing the FAFSA is an essential step of the college application.

Why bother completing the FAFSA if you don’t need financial aid?

Even if you and your student can afford to pay for college, why would you pass up free money? Colleges use the FAFSA when distributing merit aid and even some private scholarships require a completed FAFSA.

If you need financial aid, how can completing the FAFSA help?

If you need some form of financial aid to pay for a college education, you MUST complete the FAFSA. In order for students to qualify for federal student loans, state loans, and work-study, they must submit the form. The FAFSA is also required if you plan to take out a Parent PLUS loan to help your student pay for college.

In addition, many students are eligible for federal Pell Grants. High school graduates who didn’t complete a federal financial aid application missed their opportunity for part of $2.6 billion in free money for college, according to NerdWallet’s annual analysis of federal financial aid data.

The money went unclaimed by 661,000 members of the Class of 2018 who were eligible for a federal Pell Grant but didn’t complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

How much time does it take to complete the FAFSA?

The FAFSA has over 100 questions, which can take anywhere from a half hour to an hour to complete. According to data compiled by Finder.com, new applications less than an hour, averaging 35 minutes. Renewing your application takes even less time — 23 minutes on average. Filling out the FAFSA for the first time takes the longest since you need to fill in answers for each required question.

The bottom line: complete the FAFSA. It doesn’t take that long and most students qualify for some form of financial aid. That doesn’t mean you have to accept it, but why not have that option? And you certainly don’t want to miss out on some of that FREE money!

 

academics, college guidance, Guest Posts

Why Plagiarism Checkers are Essential for your Student

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plagiarism checkers

You may have seen them; memes about plagiarism checkers pop up here and there. They either scoff at the tools’ malfunction or the distrust they provoke. What triggers such a reaction?

Plagiarism checking has become an integral part of the evaluation of papers, and now students’ perception of academic dishonesty has changed. More of them know how to cite, whether it’s appropriate, and how to avoid accidental plagiarism. The problem, however, is that a great many peers look for ways to beat the tools or still believe that plagiarism isn’t a big deal when it occurs only occasionally.

There must be something that forces them to think along these lines. As it turns out, it’s the pressure to succeed and the stress it causes. One study, “The Effect of Anti-plagiarism Software on Students’ Plagiarizing Behaviour” reveals that 59% of the surveyed students feel pressure when being checked, and 41% either think that plagiarism tools aren’t a necessity, or they feel neutral about them.

These attitudes toward plagiarism checkers are quite understandable. Just imagine yourself taking a lie detector test—would you feel anxious? More than likely.

But these attitudes may prevent your children from improving their writing skills. After all, checkers shouldn’t be making students obey, like a sort of policing agency. Instead, they should educate and point them in the right direction. So, let’s treat checkers as helpers rather than accusers.

What follows are some arguments that can help relieve the stress that college students face and let them see the value in using a plagiarism prevention tool.

Stop stressing about being checked for plagiarism

Stress is the response to a challenge—the challenge of getting good grades, maintaining a scholarship, or meeting their parents’ expectations.

The stress of being checked is a response to uncertainty or lack of understanding of what constitutes plagiarism, how to conduct research, what sources to use, how many of them should be enough, etc. If the knowledge gap grows, students experience more stress at college. So, one of the most effective stress management techniques is to learn to write without the threat plagiarism, accidental or otherwise.

This video by The Texas A&M University Writing Center sheds some light on writing with integrity and provides comprehensive advice on how to do it right:

If anxiety is still difficult to overcome, parents need to act proactively and explain why there’s no need to stress out.

So, why is being checked a normal thing?

Equal opportunities. Educational institutions lay special emphasis on academic integrity. This is a kind of ethical code that ensures everyone behaves responsibly. No cheating, no unauthorized collaboration, no plagiarism. By checking for originality, a college or university creates equal conditions for all. If a student makes every effort to write originally, others should also attempt to be honest.

Learning moments. Advanced plagiarism prevention solutions provide reports that contain all sorts of information about the scanned paper: a score for text matches, a list of sources used, quotes made, etc. Some of these reports also highlight references and citations, which makes it simple to see what citations are incorrect, if any sources need attribution, and more. Students can quickly get a handle on what’s right and what’s wrong to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

Developing student voice. When students write originally, they begin to develop their own voice. Students can’t simply stuff essays or theses with quotes or research data provided by outside sources without providing their original thoughts. Plagiarism checking pushes students to not rely heavily on the opinions of others, and that’s a good point.

How can plagiarism checkers encourage fair assessment?

Plagiarism checkers alone can’t motivate students to write with integrity, but they can create favorable conditions for fair assessment.

If everyone knows that they won’t receive good grades for plagiarized works, they’re more likely to take the effort to write originally.

To fully assess work, teachers need to involve students in the process. Plagiarism prevention tools make this simple. Students can check the work of their peers, exchange reports, give advice on how to cite properly, and add more original insights. By doing so, students grow their confidence in writing and, therefore, become less inclined to cheat.

Fair assessment with plagiarism prevention software helps students take control of their learning success and boosts their responsibility.

What makes originality detectors irreplaceable assistants?

Apart from being great motivators, originality detectors can help students to avoid accidental plagiarism and the recycling of their own writings.

Essays, research, reviews, or any other type of written assignment requires a high level of concentration. If students are too pressed for time, they may forget to include sources in the reference list or fail to put someone’s words into quotation marks.

This oversight leads to a lot of stress and anxiety. Here’s when a plagiarism checker like Unicheck can be of great help to students. Advanced tools usually deliver search results in the blink of an eye and provide hyperlinks to matching sources. As a rule, navigating such reports is quite straightforward, and you can always use the tools to educate your child and show your support that way. 

_____________________________________

Note: I was provided access to the Unicheck software to test it myself. I found it helpful in determining whether content was original. It provides you with the exact text that is similar, along with checking any citations and/or references in the article. In my opinion, this software would be a beneficial tool for your college student.

financial planning

Establishing a Saving Strategy

saving strategy

One of the key elements of adulthood is learning to save for the future. Before your student leaves for college, it’s crucial to teach them how to manage money and save for the future. They will be bombarded with opportunities to spend, making saving a low priority. There will be the usual college expenses, entertainment and the temptation to frivolously spend while they are in college.

As their parent, you know the importance of saving for college and continuing to save for retirement. You can set an example by your actions and encouraging them to establish their own saving strategy. If you help them set up a savings account before college, it will be routine for them to put a portion of their earnings in the account during college; and, it establishes a good saving strategy after graduation.

Start in high school

CIT Bank can help you with their Savings Builder account. You can start an account for your student while they are in high school with as little as a $100 deposit. The savings you accumulate can be used for textbooks and any additional college expenses after high school graduation. Just a small monthly deposit of $100 quickly becomes $1000 and more to help your student with college expenses.

Here’s how it works

With $100 you can open an account with CIT Bank and earn up to 2.20% APY by making a single deposit of $100 or more every month. By using this online bank, it’s easy to grow and preserve your savings safely and securely because they are FDIC insured. There are no opening, monthly servicing, or line transfer fees.

You can easily access the funds in your account using free electronic transfers between your savings account and any other account at another bank; or, you can call and a check will be sent in the mail for free.

You can open a Savings Builder Account with CIT Bank by:

  1. Entering your information online
  2. Funding your account with a minimum of $100 with an electronic transfer or check
  3. You will receive an email confirmation and you are ready to start saving

The benefits of a saving strategy

By establishing a savings strategy for college, you are not only saving for those college expenses, but helping your student see the value and the benefit of putting money aside for the future. As the savings grow (with interest), you are teaching your student good money management and setting them up for financial success in the future.

parenting

Training Your Teenager Before College

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You’ve done all the prep work, you have checked out all the colleges of interest for your teenager, made the applications and now after all the hard work is over, they have accepted a space at the college of their choice. You could be mistaken for thinking that all your hard work is over and you can relax safe in the knowledge you helped your offspring navigate the next part of the education journey.

We all know there is nothing that equals the experience your child will have at college. It is where thy will learn to fend for themselves and learn skills to carry with them for the rest of their lives. But honestly, before they leave there are some important life skills you can teach them so they can make the most of their time at college equipped with the knowledge they need for encountering new and different situations and the skills to help them become self-sufficient before they need to be. They may not take it all on board, or put their new-found skills into practice regularly, but you rest easy in the knowledge that you have helped them as much as you can before they spread their wings.

So what are the best life skills you can teach your child before they leave for university? How do you train your teenager to “adult”?

Money Matters.

Some people are just naturally good when it comes to managing their finances, others need a little bit of help. For a lot of kids, this will be the first time in their lives that they are solely responsible for money and making sure they spend it wisely.

Teaching them how to budget and make their money last is an essential life skill for everyone these days. From having enough money for food to last them from one term to the next, or paycheck to paycheck if they are employed, is something they can take with them through their college years and beyond. Instilling the necessity of paying bills on time and making sure they can afford any lines of credit they open.

Hand in hand with managing money comes dealing with debt and financial worries. With the average American currently, $38,000 in debt, knowing how to get out of debt and what to do is just as important as money management skills. Knowing who to contact with regards to debt advice and solutions such as consulting professionals in debt management like McCarthy Law PLC is handy information as is making sure they know how to be financially responsible.

Chores.

As hard as it can be to get kids to do their chores, there are some practical things they need to know to help them on their way to being self-sufficient. Being able to keep their dorm room tidy and other areas they need to use. Teach them life skills by getting them to help you out so they know what they are doing when they need to do it themselves.

Keep in mind these tips on what to teach your teen before they leave for college.

  • Laundry including what detergents and softeners they need too.
  • Ironing and using an iron safely.
  • Vacuuming
  • Washing dishes.
  • Mopping floors

Grocery Shopping

If your child hasn’t pitched in with the grocery shop before, this is a great time to teach them the best ways to get more for their money. Giving them advice on what prices they can expect to pay, how to store different food types and the benefits of preparing food from scratch if they can is highly beneficial.

Show them how to make a list and what cupboard essentials they need to have in at all times. Sure, they may go on to live on a diet of junk food alone, but they will know how to shop well and efficiently for what they buy.

Cooking.

Whilst it is true that most students have a ramen heavy diet, that isn’t true for everyone. Teaching them how to prepare some simple basic meals can ensure they know how to eat properly and nutritiously during their time away from home. Simple pasta meals such as spaghetti Bolognese or your family favourites can really help out. It will also give you peace of mind that they are able to prepare healthy homemade meals as they would eat at home.

Once they have mastered the basics, they can then build on this over the years.

Time Management Skills

College days will be full and busy. Add a part-time job, extracurricular activities and social lives and suddenly those long days leave little time for studying or much else really. Time management is a life skill that they will need to learn when they are employed so why not teach them this early before they have to figure it out when it’s too late.

Run through a schedule with them and make realistic plans that include moving from place to place, and how long they have to spend on certain tasks. This will help them break their day down into easier more manageable chunks meaning they can help themselves not only reduce stress but increase efficiency too.

Words of Wisdom.

As an adult and parent, you have had many different life experiences. Maybe you have some words of wisdom from your college days or you can share some other life tips you have picked up. Show your child how to apply for a job and how to interview well to give them the best shot at gaining employment now and in the future too.

Teach them how to pay bills and stay on top of this. Skills such as minor car repairs eg changing a tyre, small DIY tasks – putting up a shelf, changing light bulbs, fixing broken items around the house or even upcycling old and worn items can all come in handy. Think of what you were taught at that age, or do you wish you had known and spend the time sharing this with your college-age child.

academics

Maintaining Good Grades in College

good grades

Most students who go to college are hoping to achieve great grades, ace their exams, and get into the career of their choice. However, things don’t always end up that way, as some find that their grades start to slide after a while. This is often due to factors such as an increased social life, bad lifestyle, and lack of proper rest among other things.

As a college student, it is important that you put your studies first in order to maintain good grades. It is very easy to get caught up in the excitement of college life, but unless you are very careful, this could have a serious negative impact on your education and the grades you achieve at college. In this article, we will look at some of the things you can do to maintain good grades.

Key Points of Consideration

There are various key points of consideration you have to think about if you want to achieve and maintain good grades. One of the things you have to be very careful about is your social life. There are lots of students who get caught up with partying and social events, which then leads to missed classes and substandard work.

Of course, there are ways in which you can catch up if it is just an odd class or two. For instance, there are sites that offer everything from class notes to homework help for economics and other subjects. However, regular missed classes due to hectic social lives will almost certainly end in disaster in terms of your education.

Another thing you have to be mindful of when you start college life and live away from home is your lifestyle. A huge number of students fail to eat properly when they start going to college. They sometimes skip meals and when they do eat, it is generally fast food and junk that they consume. In addition, many end up not getting enough sleep due to late nights out or last-minute cramming for tests and exams. All of this can take its toll both on your health and your ability to study. You, therefore, need to ensure you eat healthy, balanced meals and you don’t skip meals. In addition, get proper sleep and develop a nighttime routine so you are refreshed and ready to focus each morning.

Some students think that being disorganized is part and parcel of college life – it isn’t! If anything, you need to be more organized to ensure you are dedicating enough time to your studies. If you struggle to buckle down and get on with studying, try to develop a study timetable. You can factor in breaks and nights out in addition to your studies so you know when you have free time and when you should be sitting down and focusing.

With these tips, you should find it easier to focus on your studies. This means you can achieve and maintain good grades at college far more easily.