My College Guide» Preparing for College

Creative Ways to Pay for College

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:19:09 +0000

The cost of college tuition is rising at a rate that is alarming to most experts. The end result of this process is that millions of students have been saddled with far larger student debt and student loans than past generations of college goers. Many older people don’t readily realize this fact. However you, as a younger person in college or headed there soon, need to face that at least for you and your generation, there is a different economic reality where paying for college is concerned. The purpose of this article is to get you thinking about how you can keep the high cost of college under control and at the same time give you some pointers to help get the ball rolling.

Consider Community College

Community college has a great deal to offer students. Community colleges stand as one of the few remaining excellent deals in education. If you want to save a great deal of money on your college education, start at a community college, pull excellent grades, take the classes very seriously, get great letters of recommendation and then transfer to a four-year institution to finish off your degree.

Research All of Your State Schools Very Thoroughly

You might be able to save a bundle just by opting for a state school; however, you might even be able to save a whole lot more by selecting the right school. This may mean attending a school that wasn’t your first choice, but that isn’t exactly the end of the world if you are saving a “king’s ransom!” The difference between one state school and another in your state could make a difference over the course of your degree.

Skip Student Housing

If you are willing to “rough it” a bit, you may very well be able to save a considerable amount of money every month by forgoing student housing and campus life and living off campus. In fact, you might need to live way, way off campus and commute if possible. Finding cheap rent and sharing that apartment or house with roommates is something that students all around the world do everyday, and you might need to do it as well. Those willing to live in the “middle of nowhere” will be rewarded with cheap rent.

Hi Mom, Hi Dad

Then there is the “Mom and Dad Option.” While you may be ready to leave the nest, your future bank account might really appreciate it if you were to stay at home just a little bit longer. If your situation is such that you can live at home and go to college, then this could be another way that you save a bundle.

The Little Things Add Up

“Small” purchases, such as books, are not really that small after all. When you factor out how much books can cost over the course of a 4 year degree, the fact is books cost you dearly. Instead of buying your books at your campus bookstore, look for other, less pricy options such as buying online, finding used books or going the ebook option when possible.

The 5 Best “Secret” Ways to Study While in High School or College

admin — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:03:13 +0000

Whether you are in high school or have already made the leap to college, one thing is for sure; you need time to study… and lots of it! There is no doubt that some majors require more study time than others, but no matter what major you select in college or what classes you take, you will need to study.

Unfortunately, finding the time to study isn’t always as easy as it sounds. There are many different factors that can work to effectively suck up your time and leave you scrambling to find the time to focus. This is a stressful feeling and one that you should avoid if you are planning on getting good grades in college of high school. After all, you can’t focus on SAT practice test online, or figure out how to find scholarships, if you don’t have any free time.

So what are the best “secret” ways to make sure that you get the time you need? It is important to identify what is keeping you from studying. Quite often it is having an active social life and hanging out with your friends. There may come a time that you are left with no choice but to make some sort of excuse so that you can have the study time you need. Don’t be afraid to state, “I can’t go out this weekend, because…” While it is hard to let your friends go out without you, failing to do so could mean that you end up without enough time to study. The bottom line is that you may need to take steps to ensure that you keep good grades.

Secret Ways to Study While in College or High School

Tell your friends can’t go out because (insert excuse)…
If necessary, take a short trip to the library do nothing but study! This one really works if you let it.
Bribery! Bribe yourself that if you study for a certain amount of time, you will treat yourself to something that you want.
If possible, study with a tablet computer such as an iPad or similar device. Some studies indicate that tablet computers like the iPad may add in boosting learning comprehension.
Replace the television with studying. Pinpoint your unproductive habits, like watching TV, and study instead. You can always catch up with your favorite shows during the summertime on DVD or Bluray.

Don’t be afraid to look for different ways to squeeze in more study time. Learning new habits might be difficult at first. But, in time, those new habits will become old tricks, and you will see your test scores soar!

How Can You Save Money on Rent While in College?

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:58:28 +0000

Living on campus isn’t for everyone. The sooner you make the decision whether you want to live on campus or live elsewhere, the better off you will likely be and the more you will enjoy your overall college experience. Why would you opt for living off campus instead of living in the dorms and experiencing dorm life firsthand?

There Are Pros and Cons to College Dorm Life

Dorm life has a good deal to offer, but there are some drawbacks as well. If you value your privacy, you may have issues living in a dorm setting. If, however, you are the type that loves to gossip, then you will feel as though you have died and gone to heaven! Population density is quite high in the dorms and that is a fairly universal situation.

There are a variety of personal reasons that dorm life might not be for you, as living in the dorms isn’t necessarily for everyone. However, there are other reasons to consider living off campus as well. One of those reasons is that not all campus living is equal. Let’s face facts; some college campuses are just plain better than others! There is no reason to live in a horrible dorm just to say that you lived in a dorm while in college! Yet, keep in mind that many schools require dorm living at least during freshmen year.

Location and Roommate Factors

Living off campus can get pricy, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Many variables depend on what city and area your college campus is located. The more urban the campus, the more options that you will have for rent. With these options can come the opportunity to save money! You might want to consider working with real estate agents to see if they can’t help you find a great fit. Oftentimes rental companies handle renting apartments and working with one of these companies could save you a tremendous amount of hassle and time.

Having roommates is potentially a good idea for keeping your rent bills down while in college, but having a bad roommate can be more disruptive to your life and your study habits than any potentially bad dorm situation. This means you want to invest the time to make sure you are making the right decision when it comes to having a roommate.

The Small and Very Small Apartment Options

For those that don’t plan on spending much time at home, there are the two great college student options of the small or very small apartment. Sure you might not have much more room than you did in your bedroom at home, but the tradeoff could be low rent. Those willing to live in a tiny apartment often have the option to live in a very central location. If you are not claustrophobic, this option might work extremely well for you!

College dorm life isn’t for everyone, and every college campus is different. These are all reasons that you might want to consider off campus options. Yet, it is important to remember that for many people, the college dorm life experience is a great deal of fun and provides lasting memories.

The 10 Most Overlooked Way to Boost Your Grades and SAT Score

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:05:25 +0000

Would you like to dramatically boost your SAT scores? The answer for almost everyone reading this article is “yes.” Now there are countless books that will outline for you all the different ways that you can boost your grades and your SAT scores, but many of those books fail to address some pretty basic points. And as it turns out, these points are the ones that could impact your tests scores the most.

Factor One-Avoid Exhaustion

Getting enough sleep and not pushing yourself too hard is key to getting a great SAT score and great grades. Sure it sounds simple, but many students don’t take these obvious tips seriously enough. You may have invested time researching everything from what to take to college, why study abroad and even college student credit cards, but did you do so when you were exhausted?

Factor Two-Avoid Distractions

It would be easy to go on and on regarding this point. Let’s just state that if you have distractions, you should eliminate them!

Factor Three-Don’t Expect the Impossible

If you haven’t been a great student for three years or more, don’t expect to suddenly be able to “ace” the SAT. This is an unhealthy approach, and it will only serve to place you under tremendous strain. Be realistic about what you can achieve in a short period of time.

Factor Four-Don’t Be Shy About Finding Advice

You should actively be looking for advice and preferably doing so well before its time to apply for college and take the SAT. This doesn’t mean that you need to do everything that people tell you to do, but having advice from knowledgeable people could just make all the difference.

Factor Five-Invest in Quality Study Aids

Not all study aids are of the same level of quality. One usually gets a better product by shopping around, and this rule definitely holds true for all study aids. There are, for example, fantastic books on studying for the SAT and there are some rather poor books as well. No matter what kind of study aids you need, research them and go with the good ones!

Factor Six-Eat Healthy Foods

Want better grades and a better score on the SAT? One way to help give yourself a boost is to eliminate fast foods, processed foods and sugar and replace them with whole foods that are free of chemicals and other additives.

Factor Seven-Get Some Exercise!

Is there a relationship between exercise and better grades? There most definitely is, and here is why. When you exercise, you reduce stress, you get more blood to your brain, and exercise can even help relax your muscles.

Factor Eight-Take a Break!

You may have people pressuring you to study constantly, and there is no doubt that you have to study to get good test results and score well on the SAT. But taking breaks is important as well. By taking a break from studying, you will be able to return with a different perspective on the topic.

Factor Nine-Take Steps to Reduce Eyestrain

Eyestrain can be a serious issue if you are studying a great deal. If you are spending a good deal of time studying on a computer, be sure that you adjust your settings. Eyestrain is one of the reasons that it is important to take plenty of breaks!

Factor Ten-Don’t Believe the Hype

There are many “horror stories” regarding how to survive college life, going to college and getting a good score on the SAT. Ignore as much of this as possible. Worrying only distracts you from getting good grades and a good SAT score, which, in turn, will get you into one of your top college picks. Focus on what you are doing right, not what you might be doing wrong.

How Much Time Should You Invest in Studying for the SAT?

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:01:57 +0000

Ask almost anyone that is knowledgeable regarding the college admissions process, and they will tell you that the SAT is of paramount importance. For good or ill, the SAT dominates the college admissions process unlike few other tests. No pressure, right? Clearly, the SAT is serious business and going into it unprepared isn’t a good idea. For most students, the test is rigorous and demanding. Therefore, the sooner your begin studying for it, the better off you will be. As a result, the issue of time management is also a vitally important one. In this article, we will explore just how much time you should spend studying for the SAT and how you can find more quality time to study.

Don’t Neglect Your Grades for Your SAT Score

First it needs to be stated that your SAT study time shouldn’t be so intense that you fail to study for your regular classes and allow your grades to drop. Doing this could have serious consequences and will impact what colleges and universities ultimately accept you. So remember- focus on your coursework first and then the SAT.

Practice Tests are a Factor

Secondly, how much time you study for the SAT is somewhat dependent on you are performing on multiple practice tests. If you are doing very well, then you may be able to study a little less than you would if you were doing poorly in every section of the SAT. So what should you do if you fail to live up to your expectations when taking SAT practice exams? SAT test prep tutoring might very well be a good idea in this situation.

So How Much Should I Study?

So how much time is enough? As you might have guessed, that depends largely on how well you are performing on practice tests and what kind of score you wish to receive. Clearly, you should study as much as possible, as the test is indeed that important. If you take nothing else away from this article, remember that fact! Other factors are indeed very important, but admissions officials put an incredible amount of weight on this one test.

The SAT is a Test, Not Your Future

Now that doesn’t mean that you should somehow believe that this test is your destiny. Some students believe this, and it negatively impacts their futures when they do poorly on the test. In the end, it is just a test constructed by people.

Don’t Forget to Relax

The bottom line is that you should study as much as you can for the SAT, but that studying has to be balanced with some “downtime” or you will become burned out and your study time may become increasingly ineffective and inefficient. Studying all the time isn’t the answer, but when you are studying for the SAT, do your best to make every minute count! The more you study and the more practice tests you take, the greater your chances of success on the SAT will be.

The Top 3 Ways to Find More Time to Study

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:44:52 +0000

You might feel as though you just can’t find the time that you need to study, and you might be right! Of courser, you may have optimized your time to the fullest, but if this is the case then you are certainly in the minority. Most students could find more time to study if they modified their schedule. If you are in high school and are trying to find more time to prep for the SAT or get your grades up going into college, then realize that it is vital that you look for ways to boost your study time. In this article, we will look at some of the ways that you can eliminate distractions and squeeze in more study time.

#1-Toss the Smartphone

Studies have shown that smartphones are insanely addictive. For all practical purposes, the smartphone is a portable computer with a built-in screen that allows you to connect easily to the web. It is a perfect tool for time wasting. No doubt your phone is tremendously useful and we would all be somewhat lost without them. But when it comes to boosting your grades and boosting your SAT score, you likely need to put the smartphone away. Don’t set it to vibrate either! Turn it off and forget about it when you’re in your designated study time.

#2-Designated Study Time

We just mentioned designated study time. You need a special time just for studying if you are going to accomplish your academic goals. If you know that you will be studying at a given time every day and stick to this schedule without wavering, you will see results. No matter how much your friends try and tempt you, it is critical that you stick to your guns!

#3-The Distraction Sweep

What is the Distraction Sweep? Take a look at your life and your surroundings (including your home and your own room) and look for things that could be distracting you. This is a situation where you need to be honest with yourself! Only you really know all the different factors that serve to distract you. Let’s face it, your parents really only know a fraction of the different distractions you have in your life, so that means it is up to you to eliminate as many distractions as you can!

You might be thinking that all of these suggestions require too much discipline. College will require a whole lot of discipline, so why not start now? If you want that great SAT score, for example, then you will need to sacrifice in order to achieve it. If you put in the time and focus when you are studying instead of being distracted, you will see your grades go up and also your SAT practice scores. You just need to hang in there long enough to experience that first wave of success, and after that it will get easier!

What Should You Do with a Bad College Roommate?

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:39:54 +0000

Part of knowing how to survive college and make the most out of your dorm life experience is having a good or at least a working relationship with your roommate. You are likely spending a good deal of time thinking about college, and may even be wondering how to find a college roommate. If you are living in the dorms, then your roommate will be selected for you. Yet, it is important that you don’t just live with the bad results of a random matching process. If you are feeling as though you just can’t live with your roommate, realize that there are steps you can take. Now, let’s take a look at a few of the ways that you can deal with your bad roommate situation.

Few things can be quite as painful as having a bad roommate whether you are in college or are living in your first apartment or even your tenth apartment. In short, a bad roommate can sour your entire life! Step one in dealing with a problematic roommate is to see if your problems can be resolved. If you pause to think about the problems and the conflict at the heart of those problems you may find a solution. Sometimes good communication can smooth over poor relationships and start things heading in another direction, yet this doesn’t always work. If you first make attempts to resolve your conflict points with your roommate and are met with no success then you may have to consider getting the university involved.

Before you begin discussing your issues with university or college officials, it is usually prudent that you’ve first discussed your problems with your roommate. The reason for this is that the officials are likely to ask, perhaps even as their first question, “Have you discussed this with Roommate X?” If you answer “no,” they may conclude that you haven’t tried hard enough to resolve the conflict, and this could put you in a bad light. However, if you are able to detail and outline your attempts to resolve the situation, you look mature, capable and reasonable.

Are there exceptions to this rule? In short, most definitely. If you fear that your roommate is dangerous or may lash out at you in some damaging way, then you are better off going straight to your university or college officials.

Visiting your college advisor so that he or she can help guide you towards your next step may ultimately be your only move. Once this process begins, it is best that you work with college officials to resolve the situation quickly and find you another room or roommate if at all possible. No matter how the situation works out, try and stay calm and keep from making an enemy for life! Situations of this kind can be heated. Remember that your goal is to get a new room or a new roommate and not to teach your roommate a life lesson or to change his or her personality. The important thing in this situation is to quickly get the roommate issue resolved so you can get back to focusing on academics.

Making the Most of Your College Summers

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:33:44 +0000

It is quite common that students don’t think too much about their summers and this is, of course, somewhat understandable. After several months worrying about grades and tests, it is nice to have a break. But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make the most out of your summers. Your college summers mark a way for you to distinguish yourself from your future job competition. Of course, thinking in this fashion requires a good deal of planning and forethought, but the payoff can be immense when it comes time to find a job! In this article, we will look at some of the possible ways for you to boost your resume come summertime.

Volunteer Work

Doing volunteer work any time of the year is a good idea. More people need help than ever before, so you shouldn’t find too much trouble finding volunteering opportunities. One option is to look for positions that will line up in some fashion with your future career options. If you can learn a skill while volunteering, then you have something unique for your resume. Additionally, using your college summers to volunteer shows that you were doing something other than partying or sitting around!

Be an Entrepreneur

Too many people are far, far too concerned with failure. If you want a real resume booster, try being an entrepreneur. This doesn’t mean that you need to max out your credit cards, your parent’s credit cards and smash the piggy bank your grandma give you for your sixth birthday. There are many ways that you can start up your own entrepreneurial endeavor on the cheap.

A smart move is to have your business idea synch up with your future career goals in some fashion. This shows effort, focus, drive and bravery, and these are all qualities that employers want to see. Again, don’t obsess about success, just get out there do it, learn something while doing it and then be ready to discuss what you learned during job interviews!

Study Abroad If Possible

Your summers are a good time to study aboard. Think through your future career goals and look for ways that studying abroad could help you. No matter what career path you choose, the odds are quite excellent that you can find a way that a little study abroad could give you that special little edge that you need.

Let’s face facts, you spent a great deal of time researching everything form college savings programs and financial aid and grants to how to find the right college. Now you need to make the most out of those college years, and that includes making the most out of your college summers as well. If you want a “leg up” in the job market competition, then why not start getting that leg up while in college? It may not be easy, but once you’ve graduated, you could have a serious edge all thanks to how you chose to spend your college summers.

Easy to Understand SAT Prep Books

admin — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:42:11 +0000

A key part to a good SAT score is knowing how to study. Often this means finding books that make your job of studying as painless as possible. Frequently, this is easier said than done, as there are many inferior books on the market that are littered with problems. Taking the time out to make sure that you are actually using a quality test prep book is a smart move no matter whether you are taking the SAT or another similar test later in your academic career. Here are two books that do a fine job of getting to the point and helping readers understand the basics of what the SAT is and how they can improve their scores.

SAT For Dummies by Geraldine Woods

SAT test prep books come in many different styles and take a variety of approaches. On one hand, there are the ones that are very specialized that look to help you boost your math score, for example. Then there are the all-in-one books like SAT For Dummies. These all-in-one books vary in quality to a surprisingly degree. Fortunately, SAT For Dummies by Geraldine Woods stands as one of the good ones. Each section is loaded with good tips, lots of practice questions and even some insights.

This is not the only test prep book you will need if you are looking to get a great score, but it is a strong book. There are even tips of how to handle the SAT exam itself. One of the major problems with test preparation books in general is that they are often too light on the number of exams that they provide; however, this book does a good job in this category.

SAT For Dummies has five full tests and that is a very good thing. You should plan on taking numerous tests in the prep process, and this big book has plenty of test questions. If you can only buy one book for SAT prep, you could do far worse than this SAT For Dummies.

Conquering the SAT: How Parents Can Help Teens Overcome the Pressure and Succeed by Ned Johnson and Emily Warner Eskelsen

Want a great book on the SAT for both parents and students? Then look no further, as Conquering the SAT: How Parents Can Help Teens Overcome the Pressure and Succeed by Ned Johnson and Emily Warner Eskelsen is a top notch pick. This book is about how to handle the test and covers topics and aspects of the testing that are virtually never explored or touched, such as nutrition.

Conquering the SAT also scores major points in that it should help parents realize the importance of the SAT without loading down their young students with so much pressure that they completely crack. The book is heavy on strategy. Often people think that this means that the advice isn’t practical, but this is not the situation with Conquering the SA,T as its strategies are both helpful and easy to understand and implement.

How to Improve Your Vocabulary for the SAT

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:36:19 +0000

Boosting your vocabulary score on the SAT is a smart move no matter how you look at it. A larger vocabulary isn’t just something that will serve you well on the SAT exam. A more impressive and diverse vocabulary will also help you in college as well. When it comes time to write papers, a diverse vocabulary certainly won’t serve to harm your grades! Let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can build your vocabulary today so that you will be able to increase your SAT scores.

You may have taken a few SAT practice test online or taken the prep test offered by any number of books. No doubt this is an excellent step towards boosting your SAT score. Simply familiarizing yourself with the kinds of words that might appear on the SAT is a smart move and one that is worth your time.

Another step you will want to consider is buying SAT prep books that are specifically focused on building your vocabulary. It is important to point out that there are many different kinds of vocabulary books, and you can learn something from all of them. However, for the purposes of studying for the SAT, your best choices are books specifically designed for increasing your knowledge of the kind of words that are likely to appear on the SAT exam.

Let’s take a look at one good option.

Gruber’s SAT Word Master: The Most Effective Way to Learn the Most Important SAT Vocabulary Words by Dr. Gary Gruber

The strategies contained in the book are helpful, as there is a focus on not just hundreds and hundreds of commonly used SAT words, but a look at prefixes and suffixes as well. Gruber’s SAT Word Master also contains many practice tests. The end result is a woven together book that accomplishes what it sets out to do.

While there are more comprehensive SAT prep books on the market, if you are a student, or the parent of a student that is prepping for the SAT, then this is a smart pick that you should definitely consider.

So you’re armed with a couple of good overall SAT prep books and you have Gruber’s SAT Word Master: The Most Effective Way to Learn the Most Important SAT Vocabulary Words, now what? That depends on how much time you have. The more time you have, clearly the more you can do to prepare for the SAT. Here are some additional ideas that could help you boost your SAT vocabulary.

Create a special study group designed specifically for boosting your SAT vocabulary knowledge.
Study old SAT exams and practice exams so you know the kind of words that are on the exam.
Gruber’s book has a section that focuses on learning common prefixes and suffixes. Knowing these could give you a serious leg up come test time.
Ask friends and family to quiz you on potential test words.
Try incorporating your new vocabulary words into papers you are currently writing, as you will likely remember a word that you recently used to write a paper.

It seems like it is a good idea to know the most commonly used SAT words going into the actual test itself. The people that make the SAT are, of course, aware of this fact as well. But there is no way around it, knowing these words isn’t likely to hurt your SAT score. The only thing it can really do is help you!