Category Archives: Guest Posts

college planning, dorm life, Guest Posts

Too much “stuff” in your student’s dorm room?

When my daughter was heading off to college, we packed up her entire room except for the bed (no kidding) and shipped it 2000 miles to Boston. Once she got there we realized 1-she should have left most of it at home, and 2-we should have waited until we got there to see what she needed. We also found out that most of her incoming class was doing the same. Today’s guest post gives you some tips on how to avoid arriving with too much and what to do with it during the summer breaks.

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Across the nation at the end of each school year, college graduates (and some students simply leaving for the summer) participate in an incredibly wasteful tradition: They dump an entire home’s worth of furniture on the curb. Of course, it’s not the case with everyone or every school or every piece of furniture, but anyone living in a college town can attest to the phenomenon.

How much of that stuff did these students really need in the first place? How much of it was worth keeping?

Typical college dorm room

Heading to college is typically a young person’s first taste of independent living. From unconventional furniture arrangements to indoor hammocks, the interior decorating habits of college students could be their own reality show. For a college student, a year of school can feel like quite a long time. But as any parent knows, May will be here before they know it. What on earth are they going to do with all of that stuff?

If your college-bound kid is vying for a new La-Z-Boy or insisting that they need a king size bed, here are a few tips for controlling the accumulation of stuff during the college years (and what to do with them in between).

  • Communicate with Roommates–If two roommates show up to college, each with a couch in tow for their shared dorm room, there’s already a dilemma or potential conflict. For schools that assign a roommate (common for freshmen), they’ll also typically provide contact information. Touch base over the summer or winter break and figure out who can bring what so that you don’t double up on furniture.
  • Use Thrift Stores–Let’s face it — furniture gets beat up during college. There’s no point buying an expensive sofa if there’s a chance of somebody dropping a drink between the cushions and forgetting about it for two weeks. Most towns have a thrift store where used couches, chairs, and tables can be purchased at a cost that may be reasonable enough to simply donate it back at the end of the year.
  • Wait Until You Arrive–Most students have roommates during college, and it’s not uncommon to rent an apartment or house over the summer without seeing it first. Once all the inhabitants are together in the space is the best time to make decisions about furniture and decorating. It’s also a chance to pool resources so that everyone has a stake in the house’s furnishings. If one student shows up with a nice piece of furniture to share in a house with three other women or men, they should expect that it’s going to suffer some wear-and-tear over the course of a college year.
  • Be a Minimalist–Have you ever been to an Asian tea house or restaurant where patrons sit on pillows on the floor? College may be your best option for trying that out.

Even if you heed this advice, there’s a very good chance that come May, you’ll have a load of stuff that doesn’t fit in your sedan for the ride back home for summer. A short-term storage unit rental can fit the bill, and the less stuff you’ve accumulated, the less space you’ll need (and the less it will cost).

Whether you’re going abroad for a semester or just leaving for the summer, these tips for storage will help ensure that you come back to your belongings just as you left them:

  • Decide whether you need climate control or not–Almost everywhere in the U.S. can get pretty hot in the summer time. If you’re storing electronics, photographs, musical instruments, or anything that could melt, consider getting a unit with climate control.
  • Find a reputable unit and read the fine print–There are too many horror stories of students utilizing minimum security storage facilities. Oftentimes, the user provides their own lock, and a break-in is their own liability. Know the rules and the rights you have at the storage facility you choose and protect yourself accordingly. And if you provide your own lock, get a sturdy one.
  • Pack everything into plastic bins or tubs–Hauling the loose contents of a dorm room that you threw into the backseat of your car just begs for frustration when the next semester starts. Fold loose clothes and stack paperwork neatly in bins.
  • Share with friends–When you’re planning ahead for the furniture you’ll use with your roommates, go ahead and discuss who is responsible for storing the items when that time comes. Splitting a unit between multiple people can save money, but you’ll want to coordinate to insure that everyone has access to any personal items stored in the unit that they might need over the break.

College is a learning experience, well beyond the classes you take. It’s also a young person’s first opportunity to practice self-reliance and live outside of the comforts of their parents’ home. Help to remind your student that it’s a transitory period and they don’t need to furnish their apartment to the nines. At the same time, it’s a chance to learn how to care for their belongings, including the responsibility of storing them when they’re away.

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Our guest post today is from Kenneth McCall. Kenneth loves to bike and hike. When he’s not busy with outdoor activities he is a managing partner at storage.com, a leading provider of self storage for homeowners and businesses. Ken designs systems and tools for homeowners and businesses that need storage in places in the southwest like self storage in Albuquerque and Phoenix.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts

An interview with the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at UNC-Ashville

A special thanks to Dr. Patrice Mitchell for participating in The Parliament Tutors Admission Spotlight Series.  Dr. Mitchell is the Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid at UNC – Asheville.

As the Dean of Admissions, what are your day-to-day responsibilities?
I can definitely say that no two days are ever the same, which is also what I love about working with students to help them navigate through what can often be a nerve-wracking experience.  Depending on the time of the year, I spend a lot of time reviewing enrollment reports to ensure that admissions decisions are being made on a daily basis to ensure we will enroll the desired quality and quantity of new students.  I also spend a lot of time responding to questions from prospective students and their families about the application process and requirements.

What do you consider the most significant parts of an application, the parts which applicants should prepare the most carefully?
In regards to UNC Asheville, the most significant component of the application is the high school record.  Specifically, rigor of course work, grade point average, and class rank.

Is there anything you frequently see on an application that you hope to never see again?
There is nothing that jumps out at me.  However, the one thing that I would caution students on is the tendency to reveal such personal and sometimes tragic information, but do not necessarily correlate those experiences to how they have prepared them to be successful at the institution.

What common pitfalls should applicants be careful to avoid? 
I can not emphasis enough the importance of proofreading all of your supporting documentation that you submit as a part of the application – including having the correct name of the institution on the essay.  (Yes, I have had read “It has been my dream to attend X college all of my life” when the college that I am reading the application for is actually college Y!
Students should also avoid missing deadlines or assuming they have plenty of time to submit information prior to the deadline.  Time for technology glitches and mail delivery problems should always be accounted for when submitting application materials.  Students should also follow up with their counselors and/or individuals submitting recommendations to give them friendly reminders regarding the deadlines.

Are there any myths about the application process which you would like to dispel?
One thing that I would share about the process is that Admissions Offices really do want to make an admissions decision based upon whether or not the individual student will be a good fit and for the institution.  Therefore, it is important for you to take the time to write a good essay that gives some insight into who you really are that SAT and gpa averages won’t tell us.  It is also important to have an individual that truly knows them and the institution the student is applying.  These are the reasons that you sometimes here of a student with a stronger SAT and gpa not getting into a specific college when there classmate does.

What advice would you give to an applicant with below-average test scores but significant extra-curricular experience?
Please remember that there are literally thousands of college options available to you.  You just have to be open to exploring a handful that you may not have initially had on the top of your list.  The reality is that at some schools the admissions process is selective and not having all of the components may keep you from getting an offer.  However, at those schools where the SAT is optional or the SAT being below average many not be as big of a problem, that may be the school where you end up deciding to attend and find yourself having a wonderful experience.   However, you may still want to contact the prospective college and ask to speak to the admissions counselor responsible for your high school.  Establishing a relationship with that individual can sometimes be helpful.

Do you frequently have to turn away applicants whom you wish you could admit? If so, what could those applicants do to be admitted?
Unfortunately, we are not in a positive to offer admission to every applicant.  In that case, the transfer option is discussed.  This option is also being used by students who are admissible but want to get started at a two-year college and transfer in.  There are several universities with articulation agreements with two-year colleges.  Therefore, the idea of transferring in as an upper-classmen has become more of a positive alternative for students who are not competitive for freshmen admission.  The important thing to remember is that sometimes there are different paths to get to the same destination.

How much faith do you have in the ability of the SAT to predict success at in college?
Here at UNC Asheville we take a holistic approach to the admissions process in order to reduce the importance that one variable has on the application decision.  This is particular important to us since the high school rank and grade point average has been shown to be more of a predictor of success here than the SAT.  Having said that, we do have a selective process in place, and we are a part of the UNC system, which requires us to report the average SAT, so it is a factor.

What do you look for in a recommendation letter?
Students should ensure that the recommendation letter is from someone who knows them well enough to speak to the attributes and strengths that make the student a good fit with the college.  It also helps if the letter is written to the specific college.  Not everyone is going to be able provide such detailed information, or even has the time to do so if they wanted to, but I enjoy reading letters from teachers and/or counselors who have some type of story or anecdote to share about the student that I otherwise would not know about them.

Joseph Fernandez conducted this interview.  Joseph is a Tutor with Parliament Tutors. He specializes in SAT Tutoring.

college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts, online learning

Traditional students are embracing online education

Only a few years ago, online education was the realm of the non-traditional student. Whether you were a high school dropout, a dad working three jobs, or a retiree who simply wanted to take some classes, chances were that you were not a typical college student if you were signed up for courses online.

In the last couple years, though, that all changed. In an era of tablets, smartphones, and omnipresent technology, it only makes sense that education – both traditional and otherwise – would gradually bleed into the virtual world.

Traditional students are quickly embracing the concept of online classes and obtaining various valuable degrees. There is no limit to what one can obtain via online courses. A degree like Information Security is easy to sign up for and schedule around just about any job or career. Furthermore, a degree like this is practically recession proof when considering technology’s exponential growth.

Online education offers the chance to change their career path at any time in their life. Combine this with the fact that there are plenty of opportunities in cyber careers like Information Security and there is no reason not to at least go online and see what is available.

Now, more than ever before, a student or alum from a traditional university can be found taking classes online. Here, generally, is what prompts these students to do this:

The Motivated Student

This student is enrolled in a traditional university – or, perhaps, they are a high school student who is about to matriculate to one – and they seek an intellectual challenge they cannot find in the classroom. Their classes may be too easy or the subject they seek to study may not be offered; either way, this student is self-motivated enough to go online and find an alternative.

The Prerequisite Search

Imagine that you signed up for a course at your university that you need for your major, for graduation, or simply wish to take for your own enjoyment. Now picture that this course has a prerequisite that must be taken but does not fit with your schedule. Maybe it’s a difficult mathematics course. What to do? Increasingly, students in this position are dealing with this issue by turning to online classes.

Students are also utilizing the help of powerful new tools that facilitate differentiated math instruction in and outside the classroom. Click here to learn more about such options.

The Second Degree

With the economy as it is these days, people often get a traditional degree from a four-year college, head out afterwards into the workplace, and quickly learn that they don’t possess many employable or marketable skills. Many of them, at this point, decide to work part-time towards an online degree that will provide those skills and, hopefully, help them find a job that they want.

With all these new types of traditional students entering the world of online education, the process of getting a degree over the internet suddenly becomes more widespread and traditional. As the lines continue to blur in the future between traditional and non-traditional, online and offline, we should expect to see this phenomenon occur with even more regularity.

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Today’s guest post was contributed by Amanda Green, a freelance writer who normally writes on the topics of education, business, and personal finance. Amanda has been writing for multiple years on the web and enjoys writing on less serious topics like pets and crafting in her spare time! You can read more writing by Amanda at paidtwice.com

Guest Posts, orientation

Making the most of college orientation

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It is an exciting time for the whole family when a daughter or son begins college. This is not only a transition from one phase of education to the next, but the beginning of a child’s first years away from home and, in many cases, the parents’ first years with an “empty nest.” Parents may experience this distance as a relief, a cause for worry or both, and many would like a little guidance. College orientation for parents can provide some of that guidance, as well as equipping parents with a more accurate mental picture of what their child’s new life will be like. Read on to learn how to make the most of your orientation.

Why Orientation Matters

College orientation offers students and parents a glimpse of the school that will play a defining role in the whole family’s life for the next four years, and in that sense, it should be just as important to parents as students. Becoming familiar with the physical campus and the school culture will make it easier for parents to understand their children’s lives and have informed conversations with them in the coming years. Learning about rules, campus safety and the academic calendar will also be of practical value to many parents for obvious reasons. Meeting other parents will also provide a feeling of community, as well as the potential for long-lasting friendships.

Parent Orientation

In recent years, more and more colleges and universities have offered orientation events specifically geared toward parents during the days or weeks before school starts. Attending such events may require taking time off from work, traveling and even paying for admission. However, the BostonGlobe reports that most parents found the events to be more than worthwhile. With events ranging from “Meet the Dean” to model classes and seminars on “Letting Go,” parent orientations offer an in-depth understanding of today’s college experience that can’t be had from a distance.

If There is No Parent Orientation

While parent orientations have become the standard at large colleges and universities, some smaller schools still do not offer these events. Parent orientation is less of a necessity at small schools, which are more personal and less bureaucratic. If this is the case, you should check with both the school and your child about whether it is appropriate for you to attend student orientation events. Spending time on campus, meeting a few other students and parents, and helping your student to settle into his or her dorm are generally very positive experiences — but it is also important to recognize the boundaries around your student’s new life outside your home. Remember: If the school doesn’t offer a seminar on “Letting Go,” you still have to let go.

How to Prepare

Try to think of yourself as both a parent and a student during your orientation. Bring paper and pencil or an iPad to take notes with, make sure to ask questions and introduce yourself to parents and school officials. Especially at a large institution, it can be helpful to get to know a couple of contacts personally or at least to know who to talk to if you have a question about financial aid or your child’s academic record. In addition to taking care of the practical details, you will also benefit more from the experience if you allow yourself to enjoy it.

 

Your child’s transition from living and studying at home to his or her first year of college is a major moment for the whole family, and many parents find orientation helpful and enjoyable. But particularly busy parents of independent children may simply skip the event, and this is a valid choice as well. Most schools that offer parent orientations strongly encourage you to take advantage of them, but it is not a requirement. The decision to attend orientation is much like the decision to go college itself: You should go because you want to learn something and to enjoy it. This attitude will also help you to get the most out of your orientation.

 

Sources:

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2010/07/06/empty_nest_101_college_orientation_for_parents/

http://www.collegeparentcentral.com/2009/04/college–parent–orientation–a–key–beginning/

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Today’s guest post was written by Melissa Woodson, the community manager for @WashULaw, a premier program for foreign attorneys to earn their LLMOnline, offered through Washington University in St. Louis. In her spare time, she enjoys running, cooking, and making half-baked attempts at training her dog.

 

college guidance, college visits, Guest Posts, Uncategorized

How to get the most out of your college visit experience

Today’s guest post is from April Elizabeth Bell, Associate Director, Counselor Advocacy – The College Board. The College Board has launched their new site, Big Future, making it easier for students and families to successfully navigate the complex process of finding, affording and enrolling in a college that’s a good fit for them. Big Future has a special section dedicated to campus visits, and today’s guest post discusses the importance of those visits and the tools The College Board provides to help.

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Why Visit?

Choosing which college to attend can be a life-changing decision. Take the time to pursue a campus visit and ensure that you are making the best decision for you. By picking the college that will best fit your needs, you will position yourself to excel in your academic career. Take a look at these students’ testimonials of how college visits shaped their decision about what school to attend.

Planning Ahead

Be proactive and remember to use your resources. Your school counselors can help you plan your college visit and answer any preliminary questions. Also, all colleges have an admissions office that can help you plan your trip, whether you want an official campus tour or to create your own informal visit. You can even check out these 10 Ways to Learn About Colleges Online to see how to effectively research various colleges online. Utilizing these resources beforehand will help prepare you with the information necessary to make the most of your college visit. Watch the video below to hear Jonathan talk about how he maximized his college visit by creating his own campus tour.

It’s important to go on a college visit, even if it’s not the school you want to attend. Tours give you the opportunity to learn more about the common places on a college campus and what resources are available, regardless of which school you attend. Visit the Location Matters to Me link to search for a college near you.

Determine When to Visit

The success of a college visit may vary depending on the time of year, even the time of day, can have a large impact. It is common for most students to wait until spring of their junior year in high school or early autumn of their senior year for their visits. Check the school’s academic calendar to be aware of any potential dates the school is closed. The beginning steps to planning a successful visit also include planning ahead and deciding what’s most important to you during your college visit. Opportunities available for touring students include informational sessions and dorm tours, and it’s even possible to sit in on class lectures. The timing of your campus visit may vary from other students if you’re considering various opportunities before your first year, including participation in summer programs, taking summer classes, or planning to participate in collegiate athletics. Click the link for more tips on When to Visit college campuses.

Create a Checklist

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all of the things to do, information to gather, and people to talk to while on a college visit. Create Checklist and be sure to prioritize the items that are most important to you. Informational sessions are important, but exploring the college to get a better feel for its campus environment is also critical. Be sure to think about some of the worries you may have about going to college and write them down. Then, look for opportunities to speak with students or staff who may have shared your same concerns before beginning college. They can help you understand how their college meets your specific needs. Make note of any buildings you want to see. Student unions, recreational facilities, dorms and libraries are some of the most common buildings on college campuses, which are important to consider when making your college decision. This Campus Visit Checklist will give you more ideas for your college visits.

Follow-Up

Planning for college should be an enjoyable experience and you don’t have to do it alone.  Don’t be afraid to ask for the contact information of any students or staff you speak with. That way if you have any additional questions, you will already have a personal contact at the school. If you plan your own informal visit, stop by the admissions office to get connected with a school representative so they too can help.

Still confused on what to do and where to go to plan your college visit? Take a look at the 6 Steps to Get the Most Out of a Campus Visit. For more information about planning campus visits, admissions, financial aid and college life, check out bigfuture.org.

 

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts

Inside the mind of an admissions officer

When your student is applying to college, we tend to want to be mind readers and wonder what are those admissions officers using to weigh your student’s college application. Parliament Tutors has been interviewing admissions officers at various colleges across the country and is happy to share one of these interviews with my readers.

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A special thanks to Robert Barkley for participating our Admissions Spotlight Series.  Mr. Barkley is the director of undergraduate admissions at Clemson University.  Joseph Fernandez from ParliamentTutors conducted this interview.

What do you consider the most significant parts of an application, the parts which applicants should prepare the most carefully?

The most important part of a student’s application file is the high school record/transcript.  The preparation there begins at the beginning of the high school career.  As to the application form itself, it is important that all information be as accurate and complete as possible.  Especially in these days of online applications, the student is doing the initial data entry efforts for what could be their collegiate academic record.  Something as simple as one single digit in a zip code can affect the receipt of an admissions decision.

What advice can you offer students in regards to their personal statements?  Perhaps you can offer some shining examples that you have seen in the past. 

I read a lot of appeal statements from students who’ve been denied admission.  Many of them focus on grades and the circumstances that affected the grades.  Rarely do they focus on what they learned (despite the grades), which is what you’re really trying to determine when evaluating an application.

Is there anything you frequently see on an application that you hope to never see again? 

On the section for international students…where we ask for visa information…I hope I never see a student provide us with credit card numbers and other personal information.

What common pitfalls should applicants be careful to avoid? 

Applicants need to remember that the application  is the beginning of a dialogue with the college/university.  The information provided is going to be read by adults.  Students need to be careful not to be over-casual in their approach, presenting information as might be shared with their friends.

Are there any myths about the application process which you would like to dispel? 

College Admissions is NOT “The Great SAT Contest”, nor is it “Rush Week” where we sit around and select our friends and people that we like.

What advice would you give to an applicant with below-average test scores but significant extracurricular experience? 

Let’s hope that the information on the transcript shows exceptional performance in the classroom.  Otherwise, the test scores would appear to verify the grades, and show an over-emphasis on out-of-class activities.

Do you frequently have to turn away applicants whom you wish you could admit? If so, what could those applicants do to be admitted? 

They need to realize that many students graduate annually as transfer students.  If they are set on GRADUATING from a specific college or university, they need to explore transfer options that can put them on track towards a degree.

How much faith do you have in the ability of the SAT to predict success at in college? 

The SAT and ACT are excellent tools for helping to predict college success, but should not be used as the sole indicator.  Other factors (most importantly the high school transcript, grades, GPA, strength of curriculum, etc) must be figured into the decision as well.

What do you look for in a recommendation letter? 

Honesty and a true sense of perspective.

 

Joseph Fernandez is an SATTutor with Parliament Tutors, a NewYorktutoring and test preparation service.


college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts, parenting

How to Help Your Middle-School Student Get Ready for College – 3 R’s and 3 T’s

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Today’s guest post was written by Carol Barash, PhD., Founder and CEO of Story To College (www.storytocollege.com) © 2012 Story To College.  All rights reserved.

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I’m often asked, “What can I do to help my middle-school child get ready for college?” Here are what I call the 3 R’s and 3 T’s of college readiness – 6 skills you can teach your children in middle school and even earlier:


Resilience:  A vital skill – for college and life – is learning to pick yourself up when you fall, learning what every moment has to teach you, and staying in the game when things get tough. Athletes learn this, as do Girl Scouts selling cookies. Children need to fail to learn. If you teach them to avoid failure, or sweep away all the broken pieces too quickly, you prevent their growth and learning.

Reflection: Colleges look for students who view situations from multiple points of view, in class and out. Before your child moves on from a sticky situation, help them mine it for learning. Ask open-ended questions like “What could you have done differently?” “What does this look like from the other person’s perspective?”

Refresh: Help your child develop a “refresh” button – whether they use prayer or yoga, running or just counting to 10 and taking a deep breath when situations get tense, neuroscience studies show that people with the ability to let go of stress through some form of meditative practice live longer, healthier, happier lives.

Take Time:  The earlier your child learns to manage and plan their time the better. Get out a calendar or online planning tool and help them plan their schedule weekly, blocking out time for the most important activities first. Want them to learn more and get better grades? Teach them to block out time to study above and beyond what’s assigned in school. Going on a family vacation? Encourage your children to go on the web and help with planning.

Take Action: Middle school is a great time to take on activities with your child that build a foundation for their independent thinking, learning and service in high school and college. Many of the best family projects are low cost and great for building family connection too – such as working in a local soup kitchen, at a town cleanup day, or visiting a museum.

Take Note: At Story To College we want everyone to write with ease and confidence not only on college admission essays, but also in college and on the job. If you want to become a better writer, the #1 thing is to write more often. Even 15 minutes a day – in a journal or a file on your computer – will help to keep your ideas flowing and make it easier every time you face a new writing assignment.

The most important thing is to help your child identify and pursue their passions and, wherever possible, work and learn side-by-side with them in the middle school years.

 

 

Guest Posts, study abroad

Vonage answers the call for parents and students

This is a PAID ADVERTISEMENT

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Parents and students have long been looking for ways to stay in touch during the college years that were both economical and convenient. Vonage has developed a new app that meets both those criteria, while providing superb call quality and availability to all devices.

Can you imagine a future where you and your student’s smartphone comes with unlimited data, but without a calling plan? Living in this brave new world doesn’t mean you have to abandon voice communication. The new Vonage Mobile app for iPhone and Android brings this new reality closer with free worldwide talk and text to all other users of the app. Whether your phone is connected over 4G, 3G, or Wi-Fi, your entire address book is only a tap away. Just remember that calls still use a portion of your data plan.

Vonage Mobile certainly isn’t the first smartphone app to provide free calling and text messaging from mobile phones, so what make this different? Unlike Skype for iPhone and Android, which maintains a separate address book, Vonage Mobile integrates your existing address book –  which means free app-to-app calls and text messages are available without needing to reconnect with people who already provided contact information. And the Vonage Mobile multi-invite function lets you invite anyone (or everyone) from your contact list with one simple text. Skype requires you to search for users and invite each person one at a time.

Vonage Mobile doesn’t limit calls to people with the app, or even to people who have a smartphone. You can call direct from Vonage Mobile to virtually any phone number on the planet. You can dial internationally without needing to activate special services with your mobile carrier. And most importantly, you can do this with the address book on your phone and your existing mobile number.

There is a cost associated with calling phones directly, but according to Vonage, the app offers international calling with per-minute rates that average 70 percent less than major mobile carriers and 30 percent less than Skype. This savings estimate is based on per-minute rates to the top 50 countries called. Billing is also more convenient, with payment integrated directly into your iTunes or Android Market account, instead of maintaining billing in a separate login.

Vonage combines exceptional call quality with an integrated phone experience to offer a more complete calling solution.  Unlike other free voice apps, which often echo badly or sound like you’re talking on tin can, when calling app-to-app Vonage delivers what they call ‘high-def’ voice quality, which is much better than a standard cell phone call.

To see a demo of the app, go check out the “Magic of Vonage Mobile” video on YouTube at the following link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaRcnY1xZxM

Here is a quick feature recap:

  • Free domestic and international calls and texts to anyone with the Vonage Mobile app.
  • When calling a landline or phone directly, you get international calling with per-minute rates averaging 70% less than major mobile carriers and 30% less than Skype.
  • In-app credit purchases are tied directly to your iTunes or Android Market account.
  • Inviting multiple people right from your address book via SMS or email is easy.
  • Vonage Mobile automatically identifies contacts who already have the app.
  • Your mobile number double as your caller ID (so your friends won’t be surprised by an unfamiliar app-assigned number)
  • Works on Wi-Fi and 3G/4G worldwide.

If your student is planning a study abroad experience in college or traveling abroad over the summer for an internship or volunteer opportunity, you can stay in touch easily and give yourself and your student some much needed peace of mind. This free calling app gives parents and students the BEST option for international travel.

If better call quality to any of your existing contacts isn’t enough to make you try out Vonage Mobile, there’s just one more thing you should know. Vonage is currently offering free calls from virtually anywhere in the world to the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico. There are a few circumstances where free calling may not work, like business calls, premium and special service numbers, and satellite phones, but for the most part, free really means free. You also need to stay under 3000 minutes per month, but who talks that much anyway?

Download Vonage Mobile now and check it out on your iPhone or Android phone. Invite your family and friends so you have someone to text or call, then let us know what you think.

 

college planning, Guest Posts

Coping with your child’s college choices

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Like many teenagers, I too had to deal with defending the colleges I wanted to apply to until I was blue in the face. My dad? Every school I thought would be a good fit for me he deemed too expensive, too dangerous (I wanted to be in a city), or too far away and no amount of arguing could convince him otherwise.

While I know he had my best interest in mind, it made my college application process much more stressful than it should have been. Fortunately things worked out in the end – I went to my dream school, graduated with honors, and have a pretty fantastic career so far.

My dad? It took him awhile to come to the realization that I probably would not have gotten to where I am today if I didn’t go to a college I was 100% behind. However getting to that point was not easy, and I couldn’t help but think that much of the tension could have been eliminated if we were better at communicating with each other.

So let’s say you’re in my dad’s shoes 6 years ago and you absolutely can’t fathom your child going to any of the colleges they have in mind. What should you do to avoid a whole mess of unnecessary drama? Here are some suggestions:

1.  Don’t be a victim to college rankings and brand appeal.

Everyone knows about the various “best college” rankings that come out every year. It’s easy for parents (and students) to get caught up in the craze of getting into the highest ranking, most-selective schools. But guess what? The “best college” according to whatever magazine might not be the best college for your child.

There are over 2,000 four-year colleges in the US alone and there are plenty of amazing lesser-known schools out there that don’t make the Top 100 for any given year. Use college match tools to uncover the hidden gems that might be a good fit and read up on college reviews to see if current students and alumni believe if the school is worth the money.

2.  Before you express your disagreement, ask your child “Why?”

Understanding your child’s reasons for choosing schools to apply to is absolutely essential to being a supportive parent in the applications process. For me, I only focused my search on schools with strong internship programs and those who offered the niche major I wanted. Size was also another important factor – I didn’t want to be lost in a sea of 100+ undergrads in every class.

When I explained this to my parents they had a much easier time digesting which schools were going to be better for me than others – even if they weren’t completely in love with them.

3.  Understand that picking a college is the first “grown up” decision many teenagers will have to make. 

Badgering your child into picking the college that you would want to go to is a surefire way of alienating them and hurting your relationship. For 18 years you’ve helped your child make decisions on everything from which clothes they should wear, which classes to take, what friends they can hang out with, etc. Now it’s time to let them taste a little bit of independence and plan for their future. This isn’t to say that you should remove yourself from the process completely – it’s important for you to guide your child to the places where they can find answers if they’re having trouble.

4. Be careful how you dish out your advice.  

It’s better to ask questions that make them think about consequences than to accuse them of being flat out wrong. For instance, if you aren’t a fan of your child applying to schools that are all across the country, ask them how they will plan to relocate, how often they’ll visit and call, and what’s their plan incase an emergency happens and you’re unable to reach them.  Experiencing sticker shock at some of their more expensive college choices? Ask them if they’ve looked up any information about applying for financial aid.

Having them find answers to these very practical questions before making a final decision on a college will help guide them into making more informed, responsible decisions. Even better? It will make for a more peaceful college search experience for you and your college-student-to-be.

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Today’s guest post is by Sam Coren, Content Manager for StudentAdvisor.com, a Washington Post education site for college reviews and free resources on “all things college.” You can read more of her insights about the college search process on the StudentAdvisor blog.

college majors, college planning, Guest Posts

Embracing Indecision

The time has come at last for your kids to fly the coop and head off to college. It’s a bittersweet time, but likely not one for which you’re unprepared. If you’re like most parents with children in their final years of high school, you’ve spent hours upon hours advising and encouraging them (to put it mildly) to make decisions about college enrollment, degree plans, class schedules, and so on. Indeed, college counselors and representatives unilaterally recommend a proactive approach to college admissions, so it’s no wonder that parents begin talking to their children about it at such an early age. If you want your child to have a successful career (and by extension a fruitful life) then you must prepare them for the challenges and huge decisions faced on a college campus.

But there’s another side to college preparation, one that receives little attention from parents and their children. Parents who constantly encourage their children to map out the general layout of their forthcoming college experience often (by accident) beget a sense of anxiety in them. College bound students too often worry over the implications of their school and class choices on future careers at the expense of their own personal college experience. In all the time spent deciding a “perfect” degree program, parents risk compromising their children’s formative years in academia. Here are some reassuring words for your stressed out college bound kids who might feel lost amidst one of the most important times of their lives.

They’re not alone

If your kid expresses exasperation at the prospect of choosing and sticking to a single major as an undergraduate, they’re not alone. In 2005 MSNBC ran a story that confirmed the frequency which with college undergraduates switched their areas of study. The story mentions a study that claims at least half of college students entering college haven’t chosen a major, and even more students change their major time and time again over the course of their undergraduate experience. The reason for the constant shifts in undergraduate majors is pretty clear: the plurality of courses offered by most colleges can intrigue any student unsure of their degree path.

Most students have few degree choices in mind when they enter college. Usually the most general majors—English, government, biology, engineering, and so on—dominate their list of potential majors. But then they enter colleges that offer completely novel classes that have the power to completely reshape the way a student shapes their undergraduate career. A biology student may become smitten by a class in modern feminist poetry, or a government major completely fascinated by the nuances of organic chemistry.

Indecision is normal

It’s critically important that students take courses outside their comfort zone. To use the above example, the biology student would never have discovered their hidden passion for poetry had they strictly stuck to courses in sciences. This person found their course by branching out from their previously assumed collegiate path. Admittedly, it’s easier said than done to encourage students to take random classes in the hopes that they happen upon an intellectually stimulating subject. Many college freshmen feel they’re in trouble if they haven’t planned their full course load in its entirety. They’re told that the road to collegiate successes is paved with decisive class choices, planning out not only the proper courses, but the right teachers and class schedules.

What students rarely hear are the success stories promulgated by indecision and a willingness to try something new. Just because a student has planned to become a chemical engineering major two years before attending college doesn’t mean that they’ll enjoy the major. So tell your kids to keep an open mind for potential degree focuses. They might come from the least expected sources.

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This is a guest post by Kimberly Wilson. Kimberly is from accredited online colleges, she writes on topics including career, education, student life, college life, home improvement, time management etc.