Design Your Dorm

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Making it though the first few weeks of my freshman year was harder than I thought. Sure enough, I was able to find my way around, eventually, but now a new challenge had sprung up before me. Classes and Professors! Gone are the days when I had to refer to my teachers as “Mr.” and “Ms.”. Now, it’s more like “Professor” or “Dr.” And to tell you the truth it took me a semester to figure out the difference! In my first day of class, I noticed another difference between my teachers in high school and the so-called professors I was now facing. What was that difference? It’s a fact that professors were much tougher than teachers!

They’ll never take “I don’t know” for an answer. If you don’t know something; try to guess. Just make sure it’s an intelligent one or else you’ll be ridiculed right out of class. I learned that one the hard way! Just to make sure I never had to go through such embarrassment again, I read every reading assignment given in class. It came to the point that I’d read a couple of extra chapters just to boast! Gone are the days where I would sit in class and float on cloud 9. Here in college, I had to be both physically and mentally present. Does that suck? If you think so, maybe college isn’t for you!
In high school, all we had to do was be present (sometimes just physically), write a couple of term papers (or copy off someone else’s) and take a few exams (copying was still an option here) and that was it. It’s a far cry from what college is now. Here, you are expected to have an opinion about everything! Have you ever challenged a teacher in high school? You probably ended up in the Principal’s office when you did. Here, professors actually provoke you to challenge them and doing so isn’t considered deviant behavior. So much for detention!

The one thing I liked most about college is the fact that professors made sure you don’t learn crap like you did in high school. Most of the learning was geared towards something to help you in your chosen field. Many professors, whom I knew, were great at motivating their students in ascertaining what information was vital and which bits was absolute trash! Almost nothing in class was irrelevant and everything seemed to revolve around healthy debate and discussion. We were expected to be analytical and critical of what was going on around us. In this sense, professors acted more as guides than teachers and almost every professor was open for consult about things we didn’t understand and some would even offer advice on what books to read to gain more information and insight.

For the first time in my life, my brain was active and it wouldn’t stop! I gained a great hunger for learning and spent every available time venturing on my newfound quest for knowledge. That’s the secret of success to college; you got to have that drive to learn. Participate in class, add in your own insights and perspectives and analyze everything possible. College isn’t cheap and you wouldn’t want to waste all that money on just partying and hanging out. This is your chance to set yourself up for the future so make the most of it while you can.

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No matter how popular you were in high school, going to college is a whole new ball game. Even if you were the star quarter back on your high school football team, that fame isn’t going to carry over to college. Face it, high school is over it’s time for a fresh start, back to the drawing board!

I’ve seen it all – geeks becoming cool and studs turn into drool! College is your chance to prove yourself., for the first or second time. Don’t get me wrong but your freshman year is not bad. It can be a lot of fun. It all depends on how you approach it.

The first thing you got to think about is hanging with the right company. This is no time to become a reclusive hermit! Get out and meet people! This is the first step to making your life easier in college. Remember that you are in a new place and as a newbie you probably don’t even know where the bathrooms are. Making some contacts that have been around the school long enough takes the guess work out of everything.

Another easy way to know more about what to expect is to attend your freshman orientation. For those of you who plan to skip the orientation; you’d better think again! I missed my orientation and spent the next few weeks getting lost. The college I attended seemed like a maze that went on forever. So, if you don’t want to go through the same ordeal as I did, attend your orientation!

The last thing I can remember about freshman year was that every subject seemed to be a lot harder than they were back in high school. It required more analysis and definitely a lot more thought. I never really studied hard in high school but here I was spending every last waking hour burying my nose in a text book. Professors can be tough and many will not hesitate to take a shot at you in class, especially if you don’t bother to do your reading!

Freshman year is going to be an adventure. My best advice is relish every moment of it. Before you know it, it’ll be summer vacation and time for the sophomore year. Your first year in college can either be dreadful or the most enriching experience of your life. It all depends on how you plan to tackle it. Think of this as a fresh chapter in your life and a chance for a new beginning!

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College admission may sound easy but it’s no walk in the park! There’s a ton of work to be done and a mile of paperwork to fill out. Not to mention college prep companies constantly bugging you! Take some stress out of your life by knowing what to do during the college admission period.

Do the PSAT

You may have heard people saying that college application starts during freshman or sophomore years. If your child thinks he or she is done with Math and English; well they’re in for the shock of their life! English requires four years, three or four for math, two science, three history, and two years of a foreign language, and depending on the college, a year of visual or performing arts. The rest of the schedule can be filled with things he enjoys, whether it is wood shop, music or more of any of the above courses.

Make a list of Colleges

It’s not advisable to just check the school based on personal wants. Chances are, your child might not get in and run out of options in the end. Try researching for at least 6-8 universities your child likes and gather information about them. This is best done during their late junior or early senior years. Just keep in mind to make your list realistic; something you know you can afford or is easy to go to.

Exams

Some colleges still requires SAT or ACT exams for entry. At least let your child take these exams during their junior year. That leaves extra time to retake this in the fall, if necessary.

Write essays

Since colleges require students to write essays as part of their exam, the summer between junior and senior year is the best time for your child to practice his or her creative writing skills.

Application Time!

This is actually the most taxing part of college admission process. Just make sure that your child has fulfilled all the requirements and their high school grades are good. Try to be a sort of “stage mom” during this time, as not to make the process intimidating for your child.

Wait for the results

Nothing stresses anyone more than waiting and here you’ll learn that patience is a virtue! Most college applications are due between mid-November and January 10. So while waiting for the results, try to make your child’s time productive and ensure that all requirements have been completed.

The Decision

There are times that he might be accepted to more than 2 colleges at once. If this happens, the important thing is to acknowledge your child’s decision. After all, they’re the ones who’s going to be stuck there for four years; not you! Once everything is all set, your child must notify the school of his or her choice by the deadline, typically May 1, in writing. Also be courteous enough to inform the others schools your child decided not to go to. Then, just write out a deposit check and there you are!

Congratulations! Welcome to college life!

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Now that you’re free from parental control, you’re on your own to make sure your money gets you through the semester. How are you going to do that?

Marshall Loeb of MarketWatch.com shares five guidelines for managing your money:

1. Budget your money by semester. Calculate all of your expenses, from food to books and supplies. Once you’ve outlined a budget, keep careful track of all of your payouts. This will give you a clear idea of how much mad money you have to play with, and ensure that you won’t spend the final days of the semester living on rice and beans.

2. Start saving. If you don’t have a savings account yet, open one. Even if you don’t have to contribute to your own expenses, it’s important to get into the habit of saving for a rainy day. You don’t have to save much. Just commit to putting away a portion of any earnings or gift money you receive.

3. Beware of credit cards. Credit-card terms and conditions are so complicated that working adults even have a difficult time grappling with them. If you have a credit card, use it sparingly so you don’t end up over your head. Remember: Those early missteps will stay on your credit report for years to come.

4. Learn to cook. Preparing meals at home is one of the easiest ways to cut your spending, so learn to cook a few simple dishes that can sustain you throughout the semester. If you have roommates, you may want to consider buying food staples such as rice, cereal and pasta in bulk and splitting the costs.

5. Drive less. Instead of hopping into the car when you need to get to class, try relying on public transportation or simply hoofing it. This will save you much needed money on gas and parking.

College should be fun as you march your way to that dream job. So save yourself from the stress of college debts with this smart money saving tactics. As the saying goes, “Do what you love, the money will follow!”

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With US still in the midst of an economic crisis, a many colleges expected smaller freshmen classes than normal. But according to some colleges and universities, the opposite has occurred.

UC Riverside admitted a total of 23,640 students this year, compared to 21,224 last year. The University acceptance rate actually increased by three percent from last year

It seems that as a result of the financial crisis, some colleges anticipated a smaller number of students would accept offers. Not wanting to see the numbers of students decline dramatically these schools admitted larger classes than normal. Perhaps partially as a result of other colleges cutting their incoming class size, these universities saw an increase in the acceptance of their offers. As a result these colleges, public and private have far more students moving in this fall than planned for.

John Hopkins University in Baltimore, increased the number of students admitted to such an extent that the University does not have enough housing for all Freshmen students. Gonzaga University also had an abnormally large incoming freshmen class. As a result of the school’s policy, which requires that all students live on campus for 2 years, the administration has had to rent an entire wing at the Red Lion River Inn just to house the school’s record breaking 1,200 new students.

What does this information imply? In spite of the problems the US is facing, parents will still pay for their children to attend college.