Category Archives: college guidance

100+ College Prep Resources

college prep resources

It’s exhausting searching and scouring the internet for the right information when it comes to helping your student prepare for college. But what if you could use ONLY ONE RESOURCE and find everything you ever wanted to know about college prep? Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Here it is. I’ve done the research, examined the links and their resources, and compiled a list of 100+ college prep resources for you. (If you know of others, please leave them in the comments and I will add them to the list!)

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Positive Parenting During College Prep

parenting

Positive parenting is about guiding, not doing. The old adage that implies “teaching is more profitable than doing” holds true with your teenagers as well. It’s important to impress upon your children the importance of an education.

It’s not beneficial to ram a specific college down their throats and tell them if they want to attend college it will be your choice. That’s not parenting, that’s dictating. And while parenting requires a certain amount of rules, it does not benefit your child to force them into a decision that does not match up with their passion.

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Studying Abroad in Melbourne

melbourne

Melbourne is Australia’s second-largest city and home to many of the country’s most famous attractions. Its location in southeastern Australia means that it has a subtropical climate, which provides perfect conditions for exploring the city’s expansive network of parks and beaches.

Melbourne is a cosmopolitan city with diverse cultures, lifestyles, and people. The city is also home to more than 300,000 international students at many universities. This article will teach you various factors to consider while choosing accommodation in Melbourne.

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Southern Truisms for the College Admissions Process

southern truisms

I’ll admit (willingly) that I like to offer my unsolicited advice to my children, often in the form of southern truisms (I grew up in the south and was raised by a family of southerners). Even though they are grown, I feel the need to continue to parent. As they did when they were younger, they smile, listen, and then do things their own way. It’s a type of dance parents and kids do with one another.

The hardest part of the college admissions process for a parent is finding a balance in your parenting. You want to encourage them, guide them and help them make the right choices. But when you push too hard, nag and set guidelines that interfere with their independence and individual choices you create a stressful and frustrating college preparation experience. This is a monumental step in your child’s life and you don’t want to taint it with fighting, frustration and family discourse.

Following are 5 tips for parents of college-bound teens (based around good old southern truisms) to keep peace in the home and reduce the stress related to the college admissions process:

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Choosing the Right School

school

Picking a new school or college can be a long and arduous experience. Not only does it seem like there are so many schools to choose from, but it can also be tricky to determine what’s best for your child. Although many schools offer something unique, it can be hard to find one that ticks all the boxes. So, how can you know if a school is right for your child no matter how old they are? Here are four vital factors to consider. 

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Making the Most of Your College Experience

college

Going to college is about much more than just learning an academic subject. In today’s society, it’s just about the closest thing we have to a rite of passage. Young people attend universities to become adults and survive in the real world. It’s a sort of half-way house between school and the world of work. 

As such, college isn’t just for learning. And while remote courses might be convenient, they’re not as fulfilling. Students need a university experience to set them on the right track in life and get them to where they want to be. 

Studying hard for college courses during the week is okay. But students should really focus on dedicating time to other things on campus. It can’t all just be about work. 

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There’s More to Extracurriculars Than Sports

extracurriculars

Any parent who is looking at college applications knows how important getting involved in extracurriculars can be. Your teen might not have the involvement in school activities that are going to impress the kinds of colleges they are looking for, but it’s not too late. However, there’s no denying that children who aren’t sporty can find it tougher to find the activities that they like. Here are some of the options you might want to nudge them towards instead.

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Jobs for College Students

Many college students will need to work in order to help pay their way through college. As their parents, this is something you should definitely encourage as it will teach them the value of hard work and the importance of paying for one’s way through life.

There are lots of jobs that college students can take on from working fast food to helping out in the college library, and you and your kids have probably already considered them, but there are also some lesser-known options that might be more rewarding in terms of job satisfaction and financial remuneration, so let’s take a look at a few of them right now.

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Should Your Student Apply to 40 Colleges?

colleges

I read a post from a parent on one of the Facebook groups I follow. Her son was applying to 40 colleges and she asked how he was going to do it using the Common App since there is a maximum of 20 allowed in the application.

Parents chimed in with suggestions on how to supplement the Common App by applying via college websites and choosing alternate college applications. I read all the suggestions, which were logical and helpful. I kept wondering if anyone would respond by encouraging her to help her son narrow down his list.

Finally, someone spoke up with that suggestion. I’m hoping the mother took their advice because it was the most logical of all.

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5 Ways to Handle Difficult Situations in College

college

No one ever said that college would be easy. In fact, for many students, it can be downright difficult. From balancing classes and work to dealing with personal problems, there are a lot of situations that can arise during your time in school. If you’re not prepared for them, they can easily throw you off track. That’s why we’ve gathered some tips from the pros on how to handle difficult situations at college.

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