Tag Archives: graduation

parenting, Uncategorized

How to make high school graduation special

 

If you have a high school senior, the offers of admission have finally started rolling in. March is almost over, April is just around the corner and before you know it you will be watching your college-bound teen walk across the stage at their high school graduation ceremony. Next step college–but first it’s time to celebrate and recognize their accomplishments.

Here are just a few suggestions to plan for the once-in-a-lifetime milestone and celebration. After all, you only graduate from high school once!

Brag (just a little)

This is the time when every parent can brag about their teenager. They have worked hard, applied to college, made the decision on which college to attend, and are on the road to independent adulthood. When they hear you bragging about them, they make act embarrassed on the outside, but they will smile on the inside that they have made you proud of them.

Plan a celebration

Make early preparations. Whether you have a family gathering, a party with their friends, or a small dinner with your immediate family, make it special. Take the time to pick out a unique present (perhaps some type of jewelry for your daughter, or a nice watch for you son). They will always treasure the gift and it will remind them of their accomplishment. Celebrating this time in their life with you creates a lasting memory and encourages them to continue pursuing goals.

Create your own congratulatory banner at Signazon.com
Create your own congratulatory banner at Signazon.com

Watch them beam with pride

Take out senior ads, order graduation banners from Signazon.com, and order graduation announcements to share with family and friends. Attend  banquets, recognition ceremonies and award presentations with them. When your teen sees how proud you are of their accomplishment they will move forward toward college with confidence and pride.

 

Uncategorized

Graduation Parties (on a budget)


In the spirit of “graduation season”, our guest post this week by Nicole Frie for The Real College Guide, gives some great ideas on how to plan a graduation party on a budget (high school included!)

Think you need a ton of money to host a decent graduation party? Not necessarily. Here, we give you awesome — and inexpensive! — ideas for having the best graduation party on a budget … so start planning, party monster!

Free Graduation Party Invitations
Give a shout-out! Since you’re looking to save money, consider creating an Evite invitation or Facebook event page to spread the news of your graduation party. This is much cheaper (as in, it’s free!) and less time-consuming than paper invites. Plus, it shows a little bit o’ love to Mama Earth.

Best Graduation Party Venue
In his song “The Best of What’s Around,” Dave Matthews sings, “Turns out not where but who you’re with that really matters. …”

  • There’s no place like home. According to Laura Schroyer, sales rep at Lasting Impressions Event Rentals in Columbus, Ohio, the majority of graduation parties the company services are held at the graduate’s house. Opening up your home can seem daunting, but it’s better than forking out beaucoup bucks to the country club.
  • Consider the city. Contact your local city or county recreation department and ask if they offer any places for hosting get-togethers. Many have parks, pavilions or halls available to reserve free of charge or rent for a reasonable fee. These locations often include amenities, such as use of kitchens or outdoor grills, existing tables and seating, and various sports courts.

Bonus money-saving tip: Before renting tables and chairs from a rental company, Jason Rickey, University of Dayton junior and co-owner of Omar’s Party Tents, recommends asking a local church if you can borrow some in exchange for a small donation.

Best Graduation Party Decorations
Schroyer says decorating with school colors is a popular grad party trend: “They use a lot of colors from that college or different items associated with their college.”

  • Hit up discount chains and dollar stores. You’ll find inexpensive decor, like streamers and balloons, as well as color-coordinated paper plates, napkins and plastic utensils. Schroyer mentions that a simple way to make the decor pop is to use tablecloths in complementing colors.
  • Enlist the help of friends. Have any artistic kids in your crew? Pick up some poster board and paints, and have them create one-of-a-kind wall hangings. Your roomie has a knack for interesting dorm decorating on the cheap? Put her in charge of coming up with unique centerpieces.

Best Graduation Party Food
“Food is the main reason I go to graduation parties,” jokes Ohio State University sophomore Alex Huegle. Forget the caterer and go with some of these less pricey menu suggestions:

  • Cookout fare Tossing burgers and dogs on the grill is an efficient way to keep the food coming. And it’s not a cop-out to ask each guest to bring a side dish to share. Just make sure you know who’s bringing what so you have a variety and don’t end up trying to unload five buckets of potato salad.
  • Ethnic dishes Did you study abroad? Recreate dishes you enjoyed during your trek. If you traveled through Spain, serve gazpacho and paella (substitute expensive shellfish with just-as-delicious chorizo sausage and chicken — or even beans for a vegetarian option).
  • Dippity do’s Put out an assortment of dips, like artichoke, nacho or hummus, for guests to munch on. Be sure to provide chips, pretzels and cut-up veggies for dipping. This is the best way to go if you have limited seating, since guests can easily consume these foods while standing.

Also, don’t space on the drinks. Fill coolers (or a baby pool) with plenty of ice and bottled water or soft drinks.

And finally, no grad party is complete without a cake. If you’re feeling creative and want to forgo ordering the traditional sheet cake, be your own “cake boss”: Buy fondant and colored icings online or at craft stores. Or whip up cupcakes!

Best Graduation Party Entertainment
No need to hire a DJ to keep grad party guests entertained …

  • Turn up the tunes. Personalize your playlist by projecting your iTunes from computer speakers or your iPod from an iHome. Or try Web sites like Pandora.com or Grooveshark.com to personalize live streaming playlists. If you’re really going for the “wow” factor, ask your musician friends to perform as a graduation gift to you.
  • Play some games. To break the monotony of mingling, offer games for your graduation party guests. Set up a volleyball net, use your basketball hoop for some one on one or dust off the cornhole boards.
  • Create a slideshow. To save money on printing photos, scan old ones to your computer and combine with photos you already have. Make your slideshow using such software as PowerPoint or Movie Maker (look for free downloads), then connect your computer to a projector and let the good times roll!

Talk It up! Ever been to a particularly awesome graduation party? Share the highlights below!

college guidance, college planning

Do all college students follow the 4-year plan?

 

college students

A recent article in the Boston Globe brought this subject to mind.The author of the article brought to light that the path to college is not always completed in 4 years. Many students end up dropping out, transferring, postponing and even re-evaluating their career paths. The statistics are a bit staggering, but I’d have to say not that surprising. He pointed out that the 4-year college plan is NOT the norm.

There are times when college is NOT the right path for your child after graduation. I’ve had personal experience with this and have watched many kids crash and burn because they weren’t ready. Preparing your teen for college is important, but it’s also important to know when they are ready and to be prepared for the unexpected. That’s the hard part of parenting: recognizing the signs and helping them to make the right decision when the signs are there.

Here are two cases in point: both from personal experience.

Case 1

My brother entered college after graduating from high school because it was the thing to do. He thought he wanted to study geology. But once he entered he struggled. He didn’t possess the best study habits nor did he have the academic focus or the drive at the time to be successful. After a few semesters, he dropped out and went to work full time. During the next few years, he found his passion. He reentered college, graduated, attended seminary, graduated, and pursued his doctorate in theology. It wasn’t that college wasn’t for him. It was just that he wasn’t ready until he found his passion. Once he did, it was clear that he had the academic drive and commitment to graduate.

Case 2

My son graduated from high school and entered the military. It was clear that college was NOT for him and that the military was where he needed to be. After serving for 4 years, he went straight to college. He was not ready. He crashed and burned after just one semester and went to work at a full time job. After another year, he enrolled in a community college, retaking all the courses he had previously failed. He managed to receive a 4.0 and entered a 4 year university, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Asian History. Once he was ready, his academic path was stellar.

You, better than anyone, know your teen. My daughter was ready and excelled, graduating in 4 years and attending graduate school and graduating in 18 months. While she and my son took different paths, they both graduated. It’s important not to discourage your child if their academic path has detours and they don’t follow the 4-year plan. Because according to statistics, it’s not the norm.