Blog Archives

Your Summer Checklist

5/30/2014

School is out and aside from a little summer reading, you're probably looking forward to a whole two months of freedom. And while it is important to take a break, if you are a high school student (or a parent of one), there are a few things you can be doing now to save time in the fall.

Here's my suggested timeline for high school students by grade on how you can use your summer to get ready for college:

Rising Freshmen and sophomores

If you are going to be in 9th or 10th grade come fall, you can start researching colleges and scholarships now. The great thing is that by starting early, it is a completely low pressure task.

Check out online databases like U.S. News and World Report and College Navigator to find schools you are potentially interested in applying to. Be sure to also look at individual schools' websites, paying close attention to their mission statements, quick facts, and program offerings.

If you live near a college or university, take a walk around the campus. Even if you are not interested in attending, it's good to get a feel for what you are looking for in a campus.

RISING JUNIORS

If you are going to be a high school junior next fall, this is when your real college and scholarship search should begin. Yep, that's right - start making some plans before you begin 11th grade.

And here's why - it becomes extra important as an upperclassman to be intentional about the classes you take and the activities you pursue. If you have an idea about what schools and scholarships you want to apply for next year, be aware of their requirements and ensure you are meeting their criteria over your junior and senior years (if you haven't already).

This summer, make a list of colleges you are interested in, as well as scholarships you think you have a good chance of winning. Note all relevant deadlines and put them on your calendar for next year so that you complete all applications on time.

Decide if you are going to take AP classes your junior year and see if the schools you are applying to accept AP credit.

Schedule your ACT and / or SAT for your junior year. Note what your target score is based on the admissions criteria of the colleges you are interested in.

Rising Seniors

You're going to be a senior! By now you should have a definite sense of where you want to apply to. As much as your family's time and finances permit, prioritize campus visits to colleges you are interested in.

Take your ACT or SAT if you haven't already, and choose which AP courses you want to take as a senior.

Make formal calendars for your college application deadlines and scholarship deadlines. Meet with your guidance counselor before school is out if you have any questions about the applications process.

You can also call colleges you are applying to and ask to meet with admissions reps, financial aid officers, or program coordinators if you want to know more about the school before applying.

Rising College Freshmen

If you are a senior who has just graduated, continue applying for scholarships with summer deadlines.

Decide where you are going to college and send the school your acceptance and the required deposit. Make housing arrangements for next fall, and start thinking about your budget as a college student.

If your school lets you register for classes early, note when registration begins and choose which courses you want to take for the fall semester.

If you haven't already, please (please!) submit your FAFSA and see what kind of federal aid your family is entitled to.

For Everyone

Summer is a good time to be intentional about your long-term academic and professional goals. If you have a sense of where you want to go to college and / or what kind of career you want to pursue, use the next two months to find an activity that furthers your objectives and makes your application that much more competitive to a college admissions officer.

Some ideas:

Get a job to earn money for school
Find an internship that lets you explore a possible career path
Ask to shadow a professional in the career you are interested in
Volunteer with a charitable organization
Learn a new skill such as a computer program or a language
Take a class at a local library, community center, or college
Enroll in a weeklong pre-college summer program

Don't panic if you didn't start researching scholarships when you were in 10th grade, or if you are a rising senior with no idea where you want to go to college. Just look over the checklist, know what tasks you need to catch up on, and use the summer as a time to get ahead.

Check out my free printable College Application Checklist below for a list of what to do, when for both parents and students. I offer also more guides here.

0 Comments

Being Entitled Versus Being Deserving

5/28/2014

0 Comments

Go on, you deserve it!

Treat yourself!

You deserve a break today!

[This video is so amazing I can't even...]

What Are You Actually Entitled To?

It's strange how our culture conflates being entitled and being deserving. You don't just deserve that new phone, a vacation, or some McDonald's french fries - it's your right to have them!

However, entitlement and deserving are actually two entirely different, even antonymous, concepts.

Entitlement is to have a right or claim to something, either by virtue of who you are within a certain social or professional network, by law within a given society or organization, or simply being human (i.e. basic human rights).

But to deserve something means your qualities or behaviors merit reward.

Entitlement refers to the rights you have, and deserving to the privileges you may (or may not) earn.

It is a problem when a student - or even a professional - can't distinguish between being entitled to something and being deserving of something. At best, you look like you do not understand how the system works. At worst, you look like an arrogant person who makes assumptions about what the world owes you.

So what does the world owe a college student?

"A" For Effort?

First, it's important to understand what students are not entitled to by virtue of paying for and attending college:

Good grades
Graduating on time and obtaining your degree
Instructors being at your beck and call
Luxurious accommodations
An allowance or spending money
Job, internship, or graduate school offers immediately upon graduation

When I went off to college, I struggled with math. Well, that's an understatement. For my entire freshman year I was engaged in a never-ending battle to get through the tests and quizzes and homework that threatened to permanently mar my GPA. But math was a requirement and I needed to pass.

I remember explaining to my father by phone that I was nervous about approaching the professor for help. "I don't want to bother him outside of class," I explained.

"You're not," my father insisted. "That's his job. We pay the school for you to attend and the school pays his salary. You're not bugging him; you're asking him to do what he's being paid for."

In other words, my father was pointing out one of the rights all college students have: access to educational support through instructors both in and beyond the classroom.

But please note, he never once said, "Hey, if we're paying for you to go there, you pass the class, no questions." I wasn't entitled to an "A," or even a "C," just by virtue of tuition money.

A Student's Rights

Did you know that no North American country actually has a formal Student Bill of Rights? While there have been several attempts made by the National Student Association and the American Association of University Professors, a college student's rights are not protected by national legislation.

However, some individual schools have a student bill guaranteeing certain academic rights and responsibilities. Georgia College has a good example (seen here), and although California's Student Bill of Rights Initiative failed in 2012, its bylaws (seen here) were meant to give the state's students unlimited access to the educational resources needed to be admitted by California universities.

Based on my own experiences as both a student and instructor, these are some of the rights I believe all college students are entitled to:
__________________________________________________________________

Affordable College Education
It shouldn't cost an arm and a leg to get your undergraduate degree, and you shouldn't be paying off student loans into your forties. There should always be an affordable option, and it's up to you (or your parents) if you choose to go a pricier route.

Accessible and Invested Instructors
Nobody should be expected to be happy and "on" every day, but your instructors should actually care about giving students a good classroom experience - or at least transferring the knowledge students are paying to learn from them.

Sometimes teachers get burned out and express their frustrations through unreasonably harsh grading, aggressive behavior in the classroom, or simply being MIA when students need assistance.

That's not ok. Students who care about earning good grades and learning the material are entitled to instructors who care about their learning experience.

Transparent Expectations in the Classroom
Students have the right to a syllabus at the beginning of the semester, with clear directions from the instructor, in writing and in person, about what he or she needs to do to obtain a good grade.

A Safe Learning Environment
Students have the right to physical safety - having classes in buildings that are up to code with safety procedures in case of emergency. The campus should also protect students' safety while they are in class with appropriate on-campus law enforcement measures.

And finally, students have the right to a learning environment where they feel safe participating in classroom discussions without fear of being ridiculed or belittled by the professor or by classmates.

A Safe Living Environment
Similarly, if students live in on-campus housing, the university is obligated to make sure the living quarters are safe and protected to the best of their abilities.

A Safe Social Environment
Students have the right to a safe social environment, where they do not have to live in fear of being persecuted by the university (in overt and in more subtle ways) for their race, ethnicity, nationality, creed, gender, or sexual orientation.

If students do not feel safe or feel discriminated by a university's policies, instructors, or by other students, they have the right to ask that their concerns be addressed by the college.

What You Deserve

Students do not deserve good grades, and unfortunately, there are too many students (and parents) who think that colleges should be degree mills - pay your money, go (or not go) to class, and get your degree.

I remember two students in particular where I was impressed with their maturity in negotiating grade disputes with me.

The first was a young man who contacted me by email and respectfully requested a meeting for us to go over his paper together. He believed he had earned more points than I had originally awarded.

Now I should mention that at the beginning of every semester I told students:

I am not perfect. If there is a paper, test, or quiz where you feel like I made a mistake and you should have a higher grade, you are welcome to set up a meeting with me. HOWEVER, the burden of proof is on YOU. You have to prepare a case for why you deserve a higher grade.

This worked pretty well because students had to consider if it was worth doing the extra work of preparing an argument and meeting with me outside of class to get a few points back.

But this guy came ready. And you know what? He was right. He took out the assignment's rubric and pointed to two specific examples where he had, in fact, included the required information. While it wasn't as clear as it could be in his paper, his ability to explain what he meant signaled to me that he did understand the material. Good enough for me. I gave him the extra points.

Another time, a girl emailed me about her abysmally low essay grade and said, 'I was hoping to do better on this paper and am disappointed with my grade. I am not asking for a higher grade, but can you please help me understand what I did wrong so that I can get a better grade on the next paper?"

A perfectly worded request. I sent her a detailed outline of her paper, explaining her errors and how she could improve her future essays. Sure enough, her next essay was better, and by the end of the semester I gave her papers A's.

When the semester was over she thanked me for helping her improve her writing. I thanked her for asking for help and following through on my suggestions. Her work didn't originally merit a high grade, but her behavior definitely earned her my respect.

Students can come to deserve the following based on personal qualities or merit-worthy acts:
__________________________________________________________________

Good Grades, Academic Honors, and Awards
Work hard, follow the instructions on the syllabus and as issued by your instructor, and yes, you deserve that A. And if it's a really difficult class, you should be just as proud of your B!

The Respect of Your Instructors
You've probably heard respect is earned. Behave responsibly and follow through - ask for help when you need it, submit assignments on time, follow directions, and participate in class to demonstrate that you respect your instructor. It is likely he or she will return your respect.

The Respect of Your Classmates
Look, you can't make everyone like you. But liking someone and respecting someone aren't necessarily mutually dependent. Offer thoughtful contributions in class, learn how to give and receive critiques in a fair and measured manner, and offer assistance to your classmates if someone needs to borrow your notes or a book.

Spending Money
You're in college. Don't expect your parents or the university to continue issuing you an allowance. However, feel free to find a job and earn some spending money.

Jobs, Internships, and Professional School Offers
You aren't entitled to the best, most lucrative job or a spot at Harvard Law School because you have a college degree. But if you demonstrate an impressive track record of academic, professional, and personal accomplishments, you might find that potential employers and schools find you deserving of a position at their company or institution.

If you're a student, think hard the next time you think you are entitled to something - a certain grade, lifestyle, or treatment from your peers. Are these your rights? Or do you simply feel deserving of them? And if it's the latter - have you done what you can through both thoughts and behaviors to merit them?

0 Comments

Reinventing Yourself : A Book Review of Bittersweet

5/18/2014

2 Comments

From Left to Write asks reviewers to connect the book of the month with their personal experiences. Accordingly, this is not a traditional book review, but rather, my response to this month’s selection. Find out more here.

I received an advance copy of Bittersweet for free, but I was not compensated in any way for my review. My comments are my own. This book is available for purchase here.

A Do-Over

Miranda Beverly-Whittemore describes the entirely familiar scenario of a young woman, Mabel Dagmar, arriving to college and attempting to reinvent herself into someone bolder, funnier, and prettier. On scholarship at a blue-blooded East Coast university, Mabel's beautiful and rich roommate, Genevra ("Ev") Winslow, lets Mabel know she is a huge disappointment.

However, after spending the first year together in the same room, Ev starts behaving more kindly towards Mabel, acting like her own fairy godmother. The story really begins when Ev convinces Mabel to spend the summer at her extraordinarily wealthy family's summer estate.

The family has more dark secrets than Mabel can keep count of, and she begins to understand that she was terribly mistaken to choose Ev and people like her as role models for her own reinvention.

How Do You "Be Yourself"?

I've already discussed how I had to make a conscious effort to stop being the shy student. I do not regret transforming myself into someone more comfortable with both social situations and public speaking - indeed, in doing so, it feels like I've found my more authentic self.

However, every fall students - including myself - arrive to campus susceptible to losing a sense of what makes you you.

It seemed like every girl in my dorm had gotten the memo on how to dress, act around boys, where to socialize, what to spend money on, and how talk except for me.

I didn't own any shiny beaded low-cut tops for going out. Actually, I couldn't figure out what the heck "going out" meant for the longest time. Going where? WHERE IS OUT?

I didn't understand the college nightlife milieu, where mass migrations of girls in heels and guys wearing button-down shirts with the sleeves rolled up, starting moving across campus around 10pm in search of a dorm party.

Why was the student center Burger King a cool place to hang out?

Why did girls call each other "bitch," "slut," and "whore" like it was some term of endearment?

I spent a lot of freshmen year studying the girls around me, trying to adjust what I wore, how I spoke, and how I socialized. It felt uncomfortable, like a piece of clothing that didn't fit right and I had to keep tugging at it and checking in the mirror to make sure I still looked ok.

But I was passing. And I was invited to do more things with the girls. So I went.

One night, my neighbor popped her head in. "Come over!" she insisted. "We're hanging out with some guys."

"I don't know..." I stalled.

"We're just playing poker. Come on."

I got up and followed her into her room. A couple of very happy looking guys introduced themselves. We started playing.

After one of the girls lost a round, she removed a necklace. "Good thing I wore lots of layers!" she joked.

Um.

Another girl protested, "No fair - a necklace doesn't count! It has to be an article of clothing!"

Oh. Holy cow. I just walked into a game of strip poker.

Well, I reasoned with myself, it's all in fun. That girl just took off her sock. It's fine.

But the uncomfortable feeling I had, like I wasn't supposed to be there - that this wasn't MY idea of fun - wouldn't leave.

So I left. It occurred to me as I made my excuses and got up to go, everybody in the room looked kind of miserable. It was forced fun, which is never very much fun at all.

College was a time of reinvention for me. Ultimately, I did end up changing how I dressed, where I socialized, and who I spent time with. But the reinvention happened naturally once I found a group of friends who I didn't have to worry about impressing.

It's normal for people to grow and change over time. But it's not normal for other people to make you feel like you need to hurry up and change right NOW in order to be accepted.

If you or a student you know is off to college in the fall, remember this: college is a great time for a do-over. Just make sure you know why and for whom you are changing.

2 Comments

Your Summer Checklist

Rising Freshmen and sophomores

RISING JUNIORS

Rising Seniors

Rising College Freshmen

For Everyone

Being Entitled Versus Being Deserving

What Are You Actually Entitled To?

"A" For Effort?

A Student's Rights

What You Deserve

Reinventing Yourself : A Book Review of Bittersweet

A Do-Over

How Do You "Be Yourself"?

POPULAR POSTS

Archives