Category Archives: Uncategorized

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Study tips for students

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students studying

College can be a shock to high school students. The new sense of freedom alone can be overwhelming, which is why strong study habits are best learned now. Without reinforcement, it’s easy to botch time management and amplify poor study habits through the age-old adage of “idle hands.”

In college your son or daughter will have much more freedom over where and how they study. The decision to go to college should not be taken lightly either. With tuition prices rising, it’s important to reinforce the behaviors that will lead to a bright future. Following are some study tips for students:

Identify Learning Goals

Look objectively with your teen at a report card and identify areas that need improvement. It can be difficult to keep patience with an “F” on a report card. That stress is only amplified on your son or daughter. Instead, ask them how they feel about those subjects and get them to understand that getting help is not a bad thing.

Discuss college majors to get a feel for what your child wants to do in school. Review job placements and form a realistic picture of the future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a great place to search for potential careers, with data on expected growth and potential earnings per year.

Gamify Study Methods

Create achievable goals with realistic rewards. Reward an hour of study with a walk outside, or points toward something larger. Divide study sessions into “checkpoints” where students must read for a certain amount of time before taking small breaks.

Games are great about rewarding the player for doing something right, so create rewards that help them along the way. Buying books from iBooks, Kindle or Nook is like feeding candy to the brain. Reward students with high quality notebooks for hitting goals. Use these rewards to create a sense of pride in your teen’s accomplishments.

Seek Outside Tutoring

Reinforce high aptitude with advanced tutoring, or help your teen better grasp topics they find challenging. Look for one-on-one tutoring with college preparatory instructors like Huntington learning tutors; sessions are often conducted in a distraction free environment outside of school or home. Sessions like these can help prepare for specific college testing, or personal essay writing and general college applications.

Tutoring also reinforces strong study habits and can help students move from a “B” to an “A.” Teaching good research habits is another benefit that you might not get in school. Learning where and how to acquire information dramatically cuts down on study time and allows a student to retain more valuable knowledge.

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Rising college costs = student loan debt

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student loan debtRising college costs put the student loan debt at an all time high. Paying for college is one of the greatest challenges when it comes to securing a college education for your children. While it seems that getting accepted into a college is the biggest hurdle, once they have received the acceptance letter, you can stop worrying about that and start worrying about how to pay for it. With tuition costs rising every year (nearly 500 percent in the last 60 years), most families find it difficult to cover college expenses. Financial assistance from the college is available to a lucky few, as are private and federal grants and scholarships. However, the vast majority of students will end up taking out student loans in order to pay for their education.

Picking which loan to take out is key. A loan, regardless of what kind, is something that will need to be repaid—which means your children will be in debt before they even start working. So, before you start applying for any and all student loans, find out more about the reality of the debt management post-graduation. This infographic clearly lays out the past, present and future of student loans and consider how it would impact your children’s financial outlook.

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Students and stress

 

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students and stressStudents and stress seem to go hand in hand. It goes without saying that students today are under a great deal of pressure to achieve, which creates stress; especially with the college application process becoming more and more competitive. Once students graduate from college, the stress of job hunting is added to the pressure to succeed. According to the American College Health Association’s health assessment survey in 2012, 86.8% of students felt they were overwhelmed with what they had to do. The survey sited some alarming statistics:

  • 46.5% of students felt hopeless.
  • 86.1% felt like they were exhausted.
  • 57.3% felt very lonely.
  • 61.0% felt very sad.
  • 31.3% felt so depressed that they found it difficult to function.
  • 7.1% seriously thought about committing suicide.
  • 1.2% attempted suicide.
  • 5.5% intentionally bruised, burned, cut or physically hurt themselves.

With school starting in the fall, seniors especially will begin to feel the pressure and the looming deadlines ahead of them. Standardized tests and college applications weigh heavy on them, along with striving to keep their grades up and their social life consistent. Becoming overly stressed will weigh on them emotionally and physically.

What can you do as a parent to alleviate some of the stress?

Don’t put added pressure on them and expect them to do things they are simply unable to do. For instance, don’t encourage them to go to a college just because it’s your choice. Or ask them to apply to colleges that aren’t good fits. Ease their stress by helping them to stay organized and take some the tedious tasks, like keeping track of deadlines, away from them. Remind them but don’t harass, nag or badger them in any way. You can also make sure that they make time for family and friends, which will help them decompress and relax.

 

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The college application personal statement

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college application personal statementPart of the college application is the personal statement. Basically, colleges ask you to tell them a little about yourself in a short statement. It seems easy in theory but difficult when you begin to craft it. Since the college application personal statement is the first thing colleges read, you want to make a good fresh impression.

What do you want to say about yourself? How will you communicate in a few short sentences who you really are? These are just a few questions you should ask yourself before crafting the statement. Taking a few minutes to brainstorm and get your thoughts down on paper will help you write a memorable personal statement.

Here are some brainstorming tips to help with the college application personal statement.

 

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10 student networking tips-BlogHer style

 

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student networking

This past week I attended a conference in Chicago specifically for bloggers—BlogHer 2013. It was my first blogger conference and to say the least, I was petrified. I don’t consider myself an extrovert and meeting new people and connecting with them on a professional level has never been easy for me. But I packed my nerve and hid away my fears and went to my first conference session. Over the next few days I learned some things about networking: some I knew, some I didn’t know. And it occurred to me that these new found realizations could apply to the college admissions process and even as students enter college. Following are 10 student networking tips that I learned at Blogher:

1. Remember that there are others feeling just as insecure as you do.

When you enter an unknown situation and you feel like you are all alone, remember that there are others feeling the same way you do. They will most likely be sitting alone, walking alone, or not speaking to anyone. Keep your eyes open for those signs and pay attention to others around you. This applies to relationships in high school and college.

2. Don’t be afraid to make the first move.

If you see someone standing or sitting alone, walk up to them and say, “Can I join you?” You will be surprised how relieved and welcoming they will be. The first day in high school or college can be a bit scary, especially if you don’t know anyone. Take a chance and approach those who seem like they are in the same boat.

3. Know what you want to say before you say it.

When meeting with an admissions officer or college recruiter, know what you want to say before you say it. Be prepared to define who you are and what you want from your college experience. Know what you are looking for and communicate it clearly.

4. Sell yourself but don’t be obnoxious.

Nobody likes a braggart. Be able to talk about yourself without spewing out a list of accomplishments and/or name dropping. Let your personality shine through and just be yourself.

5. Listen, listen, listen.

Don’t talk over anyone. If they are speaking to you, let them finish. Ask questions and pay attention to their responses. Pay attention to what they are saying and pick up on conversation topics. Most importantly, act interested.

Continue reading 10 student networking tips-BlogHer style →

tech gadgets, technology, Uncategorized

Safeguarding your college laptop against viruses

 

college laptopIn general, a computer virus is a piece of malicious software that infects and causes damage, changes, or copies files on your computer or other software. Hackers create viruses for different purposes including stealing credit card information, intellectual property, login details used by site visitors, as well as spying on unsuspecting laptop users. According to a report published by Kaspersky Lab, the company’s antivirus software detected more than three billion attacks from infected files. If you use your laptop to surf the Internet, you run the risk of downloading malicious software unknowingly. Read on to learn how to safeguard your college laptop from malicious software.

The Email Threat

Email is one of the most widely used forms of Internet communication. However, cyber criminals have turned email into a tool for spreading computer viruses. The rule of thumb is to avoid opening unsolicited email attachments or links. Even if the email seems to come from a trusted source, be careful when opening it. For example, you might get an email that says you need to verify your bank account details by clicking open a given link.

It is advisable not to open that link straight from your email. Instead, open another browser tab and use it to visit your bank’s website. Most banks have teams of representatives ready to answer client queries via web chat, phone, or instant messaging. Find out if the information in the email is genuine.

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How will the Affordable Care Act affect you and your student

 

Affordable Care ActCollege life isn’t always associated with the best of health practices. Between socializing, studying, and the occasional all night cram session, for most college students their health is an afterthought. Still, when it comes down to it, like everyone else, students and their parents want to pay a fair and reasonable price for healthcare that works for them, instead of the other way around.

With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s major provisions just around the corner on Jan. 1, 2014, there are more options than ever for students’ health insurance.

Let’s examine some of these options.

Mom and Dad: Healthcare Providers

Believe it or not, it’s been three years since one of the ACA’s landmark provisions became law. This provision has so far done the most to increase insurance coverage for the country as a whole. It allows children to stay on their parent’s healthcare plan, until the age of 26, even if they have a pre-existing condition.

For parents weighing the costs and benefits of student health insurance plans, this is by and large the best options for their child’s health insurance. It saves time, money, and resources during college and those crucial post-college years where your child is getting financially situated in the world.

As your child nears the age of 26 though, the ACA will give them plenty of options for solid, affordable health insurance at a good price.

SHP’s: The Benefits of College Life

SHP stands for Student Health Plan, and most accredited colleges and universities have them. SHP’s are healthcare plans offered to students at reduced rates until graduation.

SHP’s have benefitted millions of U.S. students by offering them healthcare, often in conjunction with extensive on-campus health facilities.

Medical services related to pre-existing conditions are normally not covered under SHP’s. However, with the ACA, these plans will have to cover such medical services, as well as a host of other health services mandated by the ACA, such as emergency medical treatment, prescription drug coverage, and coverage for mental health.

The Affordable Care Act will be fully implemented in January of next year, and it looks like students will be all the better because of it.

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financial aid, scholarships, Uncategorized

Yes you can (win that scholarship)!

 

yes you canYes you can (win that scholarship)! “Yes you can” are the call words for many motivational speakers, school programs, political campaigns and even song lyricists. The scholarship hunt requires that type of motivation: perseverance, attention to detail, and the desire to succeed. We all know that success requires attention to the goal and focusing on the prize. The scholarship search is no different.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again!” That pretty much sums up the search process. Scholarships are the icing on the cake in the college admissions process–get into the right school and fund it with free money. Winning a scholarship to pay for college is every parent’s dream and the scholarship search process is every student’s nightmare. But with a little effort and some good advice on how and where to search, the effort will be worth their time. There is money out there for every type of student and every area of interest. Yes you can (win that scholarship)!

Read about five cliches that apply to the search for scholarship bucks>>

orientation, parenting, Uncategorized

College Parent Orientation Tips

 

parent orientation
Parents gather at the University of Minnesota.

College orientation is upon us and students (and parents) will be attending this all-important event in preparation for college in the fall. What will you learn? Will orientation be able to answer all of your questions? Should you attend? Will this help you with the transition in the fall?

Parent orientation has become an integral part of the student’s transition to college, helping to answer parent concerns. A Q&A from Kathryn Kay, the Director of Orientation and Assistant Director of Student Programs at Georgetown University, provides some great insights and useful tips for parents about their role in their college student’s life.

Follow the link to the interview in the “For Parents” section of Zinch’s High School Blog.

 

tech gadgets, technology, Uncategorized

25 Apps for the College-Bound Student

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college-bound appsIn today’s smartphone, tablet world, apps rule. Teens (and their parents) are looking for the best apps to help them organize, study, and find accurate information about colleges. After doing research over multiple websites, I’ve compiled a list of 25 apps for the college-bound student (and their parents!).

In no particular order, they are as follows:

1. Essay Starter-$.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/essay-starter/id593023126?mt=

(iPad)

Be inspired! Writing is easy when you have easy access and control of your sources. Automatic footnotes let you stop worrying about references and just write. Split screen mode lets you open and read multiple PDF files, and take notes at the same time.

2. Quad2Quad-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quad2quad-college-visit-planner/id520573900?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

Quad2Quad’s mobile app takes the hassle out of college visit planning. Quad2Quad is a virtual travel assistant, mining, curating and assembling the most important college data for the user. Quad2Quad enables families to plan college visits without spending hours combing multiple college web sites.

3. Edupath SAT Prep & College Search-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/edupath-sat-prep-college-search/id569529148?ls=1&mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

Edupath SAT Prep and College Search is like two apps in one. The free College Explorer lets you browse 1300 colleges to find the right fit. The adaptive SAT Training is optimized for short sessions so you can use it anytime, anywhere, for just $40/month.

4. College Visits-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/college-visits/id436274357?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

With the Welcome to College CollegeVisits iPhone App, you’ll get the ability to rate, take notes, and upload photos in real time or on the trip home. All of the information and photos sync with your account on WelcometoCollege.com.

5. Find Colleges-FREE

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/find-colleges/id347654402?mt=8

(iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

The Find Colleges search application makes it easy to search for information about U.S. colleges and universities. Developed by ThinkEducationUSA.com, this innovative app enables browsing by video, majors, size and tuition, or by state. This unique multimedia app features video profiles for some schools. It also provides web links as well as the ability to request more information directly from a school.

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