Preparing for College Admissions Exams - SATs and ACTs

It’s time to start thinking about taking your college admissions tests and you find that your heart is fluttering and your anxiety levels are going up. It’s a common reaction to that time of high school when college admissions test deadlines begin to get harder and harder to ignore. That’s because some students simply don’t test well and they fear that their college admissions tests aren’t going to reflect their overall ability in academics. And even for those students who do test well, test anxiety is common.

The pressure that goes along with the testing environment creates a natural anxious reaction among students. Unfortunately, it is precisely this natural reaction that sometimes causes normally good students to do less-than-well on college admissions test. Therefore, the most important thing that you can do when preparing for your college admissions test is to get yourself comfortable with the testing environment. The more relaxed that you can be about your tests, the better you are likely to do.

Here are some tips for getting more comfortable with your college admissions test in preparation for taking them when the time rolls around:

Familiarize Yourself with the College Admissions Exam Format.

Do your research about how the tests are given. Take sample tests and do your best to recreate the test environment as you do your sample exams. The more comfortable that you get with taking the exams in a non-threatening, low-pressure environment, the more prepared you will be when you go to take the actual college admissions exams.

Study Hard for Your College Admissions Exams (SATs and ACTs).

In addition to familiarizing yourself with the test format, you should increase your ability to understand the content of the exams by studying in preparation for them. You can study on your own using the test preparation materials available online and in bookstores or you can take a class designed to prepare you for your college admissions exams.

Begin Prepared for College Admissions Exams Early.

Don’t do any of this stuff at the last minute. College admissions exams can be re-taken and sometimes, just knowing that there is time to take the test again later if you don’t do well is enough to let you relax and do well on the exam the first time around.

Take care of yourself.

Many students increase their own stress levels when preparing for college admissions exams by not taking proper care of themselves in the weeks leading up to the exams. Eat properly; avoid excessive caffeine and sugar. Get enough rest and don’t over-stress about the exams.

There is bound to be a little bit of test anxiety when it’s time to take your college admissions exams, but there are things that you can do in preparation for the exams to reduce that anxiety. Ultimately, you should remember that the college admissions exams are important but they aren’t going to be the sole determinant of whether or not you’re going to get into the college of your choice. So relax, prepare for the exams and just do the best that you can do.

[tags]preparing for college, prepare for college, how to prepare for college, college preparation, college preparation tips, college admissions, college admissions tests, college exams, college admissions exams, how to prepare for SATs, how to prepare for ACTs, SATs, ACTs[/tags]

The Three Types Of Colleges - Which College is Right for You

As you begin your college applications, you’re going to need to figure out which type of college is right for you. While there are going to be a lot of different things to look at as you go through your college research, one of the first things to ask yourself is going to be “what kinds of colleges are there?” There are several different answers to this question. There are private and state colleges.< There are liberal and conservative colleges. But the answer that we’re looking at here is a much broader approach to the question.

There are three basic types of colleges that you’ll want to categorize your search into as you begin to look at the college application process. The type of college that most people think about when considering college applications it the four year college. The common second-choice for many people is the two year college. And then there is the third option, the vocational or trade school. Taking a look at each of these colleges more carefully will help you decide which type of college is right for you.

The four year college:

The four year college is the basic college that you think about when you start applying for higher education. It’s the state or private college where you go to get a Bachelor’s degree in a certain major. It’s the “University of …” kind of school, although the names may vary (dependent partially on whether the school is public or private). Although dubbed the four-year college, this type of college is attended for the experience, not the length of time associated with the name. (In fact, many students stay at these schools for five or six years.) This kind of college gives you access to the entire college experience, from dorm life and fraternities to academic competition and preparation for graduate school.

The two year college:

Also known as the Associates program college, the two-year college is an alternative option for many high school graduates looking at higher education. The benefits to this type of college are more relaxed admissions, cheaper tuition, and more individualized academic attention in comparison with the larger four-year colleges. By attending this kind of college, you have the opportunity to go through a quicker program, explore some of your college options, strengthen your academic abilities and spend less money completing the first two years of your college degree. This education can often be applied to transfer to a four year college if you decide later on that you want that experience.

The trade or vocational college:

The third type of college that’s available to graduating high school students is the trade or vocational college. This is a college that is geared towards getting you a degree in a specialized field in a quick amount of time. The programs are highly focused and often have job placement opportunities upon graduation. Drawbacks to this type of program include that the courses are typically more expensive than those of a two-year college, the programs generally don’t apply to school transfer later on and the degree is specialized. Positives include a fast program (usually less than one year), a career upon graduation and college experience.

Any of these types of colleges might be right for you, depending on your situation. None of these is better than any of the others; it’s all about your own unique needs as you head off to college. Start thinking about what you want from your college experience so that you can figure out which types of college may be the right ones for you.
[tags]choosing a college, choose a college, types of colleges, types of schools, four year schools, two year schools, two year colleges, 2 year colleges, 4 year colleges, 4 year schools, trade schools, vocational schools, vocational colleges, trade colleges, compare colleges, college comparisons[/tags]

 

College Admissions Checklist - How to Prepare a College Admissions Checklist in High School

 

High school is a time which can be filled with fun and excitement, but it’s also a period during which you’re going to be doing a lot of hard work. That hard work is what’s going to get you into college at the end of the stretch, so you want to make sure that you’re keeping on top of things. The best way to balance the fun and the work of high school is to have a plan for your college admissions process. That way, you can see that you’re getting done the work that you need to while you’re out there having fun and learning about life.

A college admissions checklist is a terrific way to organize all of the things that you’ll need to do in high school in order to prepare for going to college. You can prepare your college admissions checklist and then print it out and keep it in a highly visible place in your room or locker so that you can be sure that you’re staying on top of things. The following is a sample of items that you might want to consider putting on your college admissions checklist. Adapt it as you see fit and put it into a timeline to design a college admissions checklist that works for you.

 

 

 

Sample -College Admissions Checklist Criteria

___ Take the PSAT. This is usually done during your junior year and will give you an indication as to how much studying you will need to do for your senior year exams (the SAT and / or ACT).

___ Take the SAT and / or ACT.

___ Meet your high school guidance counselor. This is the best resource you have at your school to help you with your admissions process so you should develop a relationship with him or her. Make an appointment to discuss college plans and just let this person get to know you.

___ Request college brochures from the schools that interest you.

___ Visit college campuses and / or attend college information fairs so that you can get a better idea of which schools are right for you.

___ Research information about financial aid. Visit www.finaid.org. Sign up for FastWeb scholarship information. File your FAFSA forms as soon after January 1^st of your senior year of high school.

___ Get letters of recommendation from your teachers and / or volunteer organization supervisors.

___ Make a separate checklist with all of the dates and materials needed for every application you plan to complete.

___ Complete all applications in a timely manner. This includes leaving plenty of time for writing your letters of recommendation and gathering together your transcripts.

These are just some of the basic areas that you will want to cover as you make your college admissions checklist. By narrowing down each of these categories and placing them into a reasonable time frame which you then will input into a calendar, you’ll be able to easily see that you’re taking care of the hard work part of college admissions on time. And the rest of your high school experience should be fun!

 

 

[tags]college admissions, college admissions checklist, college admission checklist, preparing for college, prepare for college, high school checklist, college checklist, getting into college, get into college, getting accepted into college[/tags]

 

Figuring Out The Best Art Schools For You : Which Art Schools Are the Best for You?!

 

 

Art is a terrifically subjective thing. What you like, how you experience it and even what your opinion is on the formal vs. informal education

options for studying it are all highly personal. And so, choosing which are the best art schools isn’t an easy thing. It’s not like law schools or medical schools where the rankings and job opportunities are clear cut. After all, graduating from a certain art school doesn’t mean that you’re going to have a fulfilling creative career as an artist.

However, art can be a career and you don’t want to take choosing an art school lightly. You want to find the best art schools for your particular needs. And in order to be able to do that, you need to be able to know what you want from the art schools that you’re thinking about attending. If you’re going to embark on such a creative course, then you need to get started with learning how to create your destiny. So figure out what you want and then identify that art schools that are best for your needs.

Here are some things to think about when you’re trying to identify the best art schools for your particular needs:

Where Do You Want to Attend Art School?

Do you want to spend your college years in a city or a smaller town? Where do you feel most creatively inspired? How far from home do you want to go for school?

Is the Art School a Big or Little School - What Do You Prefer?

Are you comfortable with attending a large, well-known institution that may have big class sizes or do you work best when you have the opportunity to work in small groups with one-to-one mentors? Do you want to have access to an entire college campus through an art degree at a state school or major university? Or do you want to attend an art-only institution?

Do The Art Schools That You Like Offer Classes in the Niche Art Specialization That You Have Been Dreaming Of?

Do you know what kind of art you’d like to explore? Are there certain areas or careers that interest you? If, for example, photography is your art of choice, you aren’t going to want to look at art schools that don’t offer that as a degree.

Do The Professors Teach in the Teaching Style That You Thrive the Best With?

Who do you learn best from? Is it important to you that your instructors have experience in the world of art? Should they be people working in art today? Or do you care more about their technical expertise and art education?

Do The Art Schools That You Like Give The Students Enough Creative Freedom?

Different art schools are going to have different levels of creative freedom. Some will be very structured and teach you the technical details of art while others will be more project-based and internally-driven. Which of these styles is right for you?

Cost of Art Schools - Can You Afford Your Favorite Art School?!

Sure, some people excel financially in art careers but it’s not a field known for being lucrative at the get-go. If finances are a problem for you, you need to look at lower cost art schools or art schools with good programs for scholarships and financial aid.

Art schools are like any other schools in the sense that some are going to be better than others for different people. You really need to know what you want to figure out which are the best art schools for you to apply to for your art education. But, if you’re intent on getting a list of those schools which are considered the top art schools in the nation, you can explore the listed opinions of others at Best Art Schools , Design Education Guide, and ArtSchools.com.

 

[tags]art schools, best art schools, top art schools, choosing an art school, which art school to attend, art colleges, art classes, art courses, choosing schools, choosing a college[/tags]

 

 

Getting Along With Your College Roommates

 

 

It’s almost time to make the move to your first dorm room or college apartment and you’re terrified. It’s not so much that you’re afraid to leave home (that part’s actually kind of exciting even though it has moments of being scary) but more that you’re somewhat threatened by the idea of an all-new environment. What if you can’t find your way around? How will you know what to do in an emergency? And what if you hate your college roommate?

Relax. Most of the things that you need to know will come naturally as you move into your new place, especially if you’ve got the transition perks of being housed in college housing. But there are a few things that you can take charge of right away. Learning to get along with your college roommate, no matter what he or she might be like, is one of those things. By getting a grasp on this important part of the housing equation, you’ll be well on your way to a positive first apartment experience.

Here are some tips for getting along with your college roommate:

(1) Be open minded.

A good experience starts with your ability to be open to the person you’re sharing space with. Sure, you might wear different clothes, listen to different music and come from entirely different backgrounds but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get along. Accept that differences might be a good thing and get to know this new person without judging them first.
(2) Be respectful.

The key to a good roommate situation is being respectful of one another’s space and needs. Most of this is common sense. Ask before borrowing something that’s not yours. Clean up after yourself or at least keep your mess confined to your part of the room. Don’t make excessive noise when your roommate is studying or trying to sleep. You’d be surprised how much these little signs of respect can make living with your college roommate go more smoothly.
(3) Relax.

Your roommate may not always be respectful and it may drive you up the wall. Relax. Ask yourself if the things that are bothering you are real problems or just small annoyances. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Letting little things get to you can make living with your college roommate a terrible experience.
(4) Communicate.

When problems come up, talk about them. When things need to be worked out, discuss them. Stewing in frustration or trying to resolve two-person issues all on your own will create a roommate situation that could turn volatile. Clear the air early and often to avoid confrontation that gets out of hand.

(5) Remember, It Isn’t Forever.

Finally, remember that you’re only going to be living with this college roommate for a semester or two. Even if the experience isn’t great, it won’t last forever. Enjoy it as much as you can, learn from it and then move on. You’ll have the opportunity to live with a lot of different people, gaining college roommate living together skills as you go. It’s all just part of a bigger adventure!

 

More Articles Online About College Roommates

 

How to Choose the Right College Roommate

 

College Roommate Personality Clashes: How to Survive 

 

College Roommate Survival 101 

 

Horrible Roommate Stories 

 

10 Top Tips To Remember When Moving In With Roommates 

 

Do Best Friends Make the Best College Roommates? 

 

Roomie With a View

 

College Roommate 

 

One College Roommate Down, One to Go

 

College Roommate Personality Clashes: How to Survive

 

Looking for bad college roommate stories 

 

Dorm Room Advice and Safety

 

Within Arms Reach : Keeping it Bedside

 

Dorm Fires : More Common Than You Would Think

 

What is in a Dorm Closet?

 

College Dorm Room Shopping Part 1: Bedding 

 

College Dorm Room Shopping Part 2: Furnishings 

 

College Dorm Room Shopping Part 3: Storage 

 

College Dorm Room Shopping Part 4: Decorations 

 

Clean Your Dorm Room; Impress Friends and Neighbors 

 

How to Construct a Loft Bed 

 

Colorize yourself! Tips for adding color to a lifeless dorm room

 

Tip For Sports Fanatics Decorating Your Dorm – Don’t Be “That Guy” 

 

Fab Friday Finds - More for Pink and Green Rooms 

 

Top 10 Hottest Posts: #9 Help for Small Rooms 

 

Ideas for Dorms and Apartments: Wall Art Designs 

 

Dividing Rooms in Style 

 

College Dorm Room Decorating 

 

5 Ways to Upgrade Your College Dorm Room

 

What You Need to Know About College Dorm Life

 

College Dorm Life Tips 

 

College Relationships: Roommate tips for dorm life

 

Getting Settled In a Dorm Room - It’s Not All About the Furniture…

 

Survive Dorm Life: Rules to Live By 

 

 

[tags]college roommates, dorm roommates, college room mates, dorm room mates, college life, transition to college, transitioning to college, college life, moving to college, college dorms, college freshman, college, dorms, transitioning to college life, living at college, living in a dorm, college articles, college tips, college help, guide to college, guide to college life [/tags]

 

What is College Dorm Life Like

 

Are you trying to make the decision of whether or not to live in a college dorm during your first year in college? If your college campus gives you an option for living on or off campus, you might be thinking that dorm life isn’t for you. It’s filled with giggling girls and show off boys, has too many rules and means sharing space that you don’t want to share. But life in dorms is more than just these basic stereotypes, and it might be more like what you need right now than you could possibly imagine. Following are some myths about life in dorms and the realities behind them.

Life in Dorms, Myth #1: Sharing a room is awful.

If you’ve always had your own room at your parents’ house, the idea of sharing a room with someone else can seem terrible. But it’s usually not as awful as most students think. You can divide the room in half so that you have an area which is your personal space and you can work out a schedule with your roommate so you have some alone time in your room. Life is all about compromise and you may find that the compromises are worth the benefits of having a roommate around to talk with and rely on during the first year of college.

Life in Dorms, Myth #2: There are too many rules.

Yes, there are rules in dorms. How strict they are depends on the school and is something that you might want to look into as you consider colleges. But you probably had rules in your parents’ home and the rules of the dorm are probably less strict than those at home. And the rules are there for your own good, whether you like it or not. The transition to college can be tough and sometimes having some boundaries in place can really help you to make that transition.

Life in Dorms, Myth #3: Every night is a party.

Often, when you first move into your dorm, there is a lot of socializing going on. This may intimidate you if you aren’t used to be very social or you are concerned about your study time. But it usually tapers off after the first few weeks as people settle into their social groups and get used to being around each other on campus. Besides, your room is your space and you get to have a say in how it’s used. If you don’t want a party in your room all of the time and you’re able to communicate your needs to your dorm mate, you shouldn’t have any real problems. Besides, you might like those midnight slumber sessions once in awhile.

Life in Dorms, Myth #4: It’s always noisy.

This is one that is sometimes true and sometimes not. You have a lot of people living in a small space with thin walls so you’re going to hear some noise. But most of your roommates in the dorm are going to be a lot like you – noisy sometimes and not so noisy at other times. A good pair of ear plugs, a great mp3 player and strong communication skills with your neighbors go a long way towards making this myth a minimal problem.

Life in Dorms, Myth #5: You won’t like anyone you live with.

College dorm life in reality isn’t a lot like what you see portrayed on TV. In other words, there aren’t cookie cutter people who all live in the dorm together. Instead, there are a diverse group of people who come from a range of backgrounds and who have a variety of beliefs and habits. You’re sure to find someone that you can get along with. Be open to liking your dorm mates and dorm life should go smoothly for you.

 

MORE ONLINE ARTICLES WITH TIPS AND ADVICE FOR COLLEGE DORM LIFE

 

Dorm Room Advice and Safety

 

Within Arms Reach : Keeping it Bedside

 

Dorm Fires : More Common Than You Would Think

 

What is in a Dorm Closet?

 

College Dorm Room Shopping Part 1: Bedding 

 

College Dorm Room Shopping Part 2: Furnishings 

 

College Dorm Room Shopping Part 3: Storage 

 

College Dorm Room Shopping Part 4: Decorations 

 

Clean Your Dorm Room; Impress Friends and Neighbors 

 

How to Construct a Loft Bed 

 

Colorize yourself! Tips for adding color to a lifeless dorm room

 

Tip For Sports Fanatics Decorating Your Dorm – Don’t Be “That Guy” 

 

Fab Friday Finds - More for Pink and Green Rooms 

 

Top 10 Hottest Posts: #9 Help for Small Rooms 

 

Ideas for Dorms and Apartments: Wall Art Designs 

 

Dividing Rooms in Style 

 

College Dorm Room Decorating 

 

5 Ways to Upgrade Your College Dorm Room

 

What You Need to Know About College Dorm Life

 

College Dorm Life Tips 

 

College Relationships: Roommate tips for dorm life

 

Getting Settled In a Dorm Room - It’s Not All About the Furniture…

 

Survive Dorm Life: Rules to Live By 

 

[tags]college dorms, dorms, college dormitories, dormitories, university dorms, university dormitories, college dorm tips, college dorm advice, college roommates, living on campus, college life, what is college life like, what are college dorms like, college, dorm life, college tips, college advice, college freshman tips[/tags]

 

How to Make the Transition from High School to College Life Easier

 

The transition to college is often difficult for students to make. Frequently, it means moving to a new home which might not be in the same city – or even the same part of the country – as your high school home. The transition to college also requires you to take on new responsibilities in life, learn new skills and essentially to “grow up”. But college life is designed to make this transition as easy as possible, providing you with resources on campus to help you through the difficulties of making the transition.

The biggest difficulty that comes with the transition to college is the difficulty of moving away from home. Sure, you’re thrilled about it. But you’re probably also scared. You have to learn how to pay your bills on your own, set your own schedule, and handle your own household responsibilities. Living in a dorm can greatly help with your transition to college for this reason. It gives you some regulations and guidelines to keep you from getting too crazy while allowing you some of the freedoms of living on your own. It’s the perfect medium between living at home with your parents and living in an apartment and can be the transition that you need in terms of housing.

Other than housing, the general responsibilities of life that you’ll have to manage are the major part of your transition to college. Your credit card and cell phone bills will likely be coming to your new home and you’re going to need to figure out how to pay them in a timely manner. You’re not going to have anyone to tell you when to go to bed, so you’ll need to figure out when you need some sleep. These are things that you’ll learn with time. The most important thing is to stay tuned in to yourself. If you’re getting sick often, feeling stressed all the time or feel unusually depressed and scared, you might need to get some help as you make these transitions.

Help is something that you should have at your disposal anyway, because the transition to college isn’t always easy even in the best of circumstances. Help can come in many forms. Maybe you just need to know that you can call your best friend from back home in the middle of the night to tell her that all of your roommates are mean and you don’t like anyone in your classes. Perhaps you need the security of knowing that you can go back home for a year if you can’t make the transition to college work for you. Or maybe you need regular contact with a school counselor to give you guidance about making choices as you transition to college. Make use of all of the human resources at your disposal to make the transition go more smoothly.

You’re hardly the first … or the last … person to make the transition to college. Others have done it successfully year after year and you’ll be able to do it as well. Trust your own abilities, be willing to make and learn from your mistakes and surround yourself with people who will help you transition to college. It’s an exciting time of life and you should do your best to make the most of it!

 

[tags]transition to college, transitioning to college, college life, moving to college, college dorms, college freshman, college, dorms, transitioning to college life, living at college, living in a dorm, college articles, college tips, college help, guide to college, guide to college life[/tags]

Prepaid Tuition Plans and Financial Planning for College

Have you ever heard of a prepaid tuition plan? Sometimes known as a “529” (after the federal IRS code which addresses the issue), prepaid tuition plans allow people to plan ahead for college, locking in the current rate of college tuition for children who will be attending college in the future. Parents and young adults who are fairly certain that the family’s kids will be attending college in the future should consider the prepaid tuition plan as one option that makes sense when doing financial planning for college. It saves money in the long run and also helps make sense of college tuition planning as a whole.

The basics of prepaid tuition plans

Prepaid tuition plans are offered by the federal government as well as by many states and by some independent colleges. Parents general start at the federal level with their research and work their way down. It is often uncommon to know in advance which colleges will be attended so planning for a 529 at certain colleges doesn’t make sense for most families, but you should be aware that it’s an option you have on your plate. For additional information about the different types of prepaid tuition plans, see the FinAid! website.

How prepaid tuition plans work

The prepaid tuition plan is a college savings plan which is designed to increase in value at the same rate that college tuition rates increase. So, the sooner that you start saving with your prepaid tuition plan, the better because you are basically locking in the current rate of tuition. Since college tuition costs are increasing every year, it makes sense to pay for college as soon as possible even if you – or your children – aren’t going for a long time.

The two kinds of prepaid tuition plans

There are two different prepaid tuition plans that are commonly purchased by parents seeking to secure low college costs (relatively) and set aside money for their child’s education. The first is a contract plan – essentially the parent contracts to buy a certain number of years of education in the future. The requirements for contract plans vary dependent on the state, the number of years purchased, the age of the child at purchase and the method of repayment for the purchase. The second kind of prepaid tuition plan is the prepaid unit plan. Units are bought in increments, with one unit basically representing one percent of the tuition during the year of purchase, and the price of units goes up as the cost of tuition goes up.

Using your prepaid tuition plan for gifts

Prepaid tuition plans are great not just because they give you a way to save money for your children or for your own education but also because they encourage other people to contribute to the education of the person for whom the prepaid tuition plan is set up for. In simpler terms, if you set up a prepaid tuition plan for your child when he is young, you can let your family and friends know that they can pay into the plan when birthdays and holidays come around. It gives them an easy way to gift every year and helps the child pay for college while saving on the actual cost of the education.

 

[tags]financial planning for college, planning for college, saving for college, college savings, college tuition, saving for college tuition, prepaid tuition plans, prepaid tuition, prepaid college tuition, paying for tuition, money for college, college, college tuition, financial aid, college financial aid[/tags]

What You Need To Know About Getting Internships In College

 

Internships are an important part of the college experience. They give you much-needed experience in the working world, let you explore areas of interest to determine whether or not you want to pursue them as careers and meet people who are professionals in the industries that you want to enter. Additionally, internships sometimes provide you with a small living stipend, often allow you to meet new friends and generally give you opportunities that you couldn’t have obtained without them. But many students don’t know how to go about getting internships while they’re in college.

Here are the basics:

• Get to know your counselor. The college counselor is your first point of contact for getting information about available internships. Many businesses let colleges know about internships and then the counselor passes that information on to you, the student. By making regular appointments with your college counselor, you give him or her a chance to get to know what type of internships you’re seeking so they can notify you when they come up. And since they’re getting to know you, they might even put in a good word.
• Scan the classifieds. Many places place ads for internships when they are seeking to hire interns. Make it a regular habit to check your campus newspaper or your favorite online classifieds place for available internships. Something might come up when you least expect it. Even if not, paying attention to the internship ads will give you a good idea of what’s generally available throughout the year.
• Be proactive. If there is a particular company that you would like to intern with, contact them and request an appointment. Put together a resume highlighting your experience and meet people in the office in person with your best professional demeanor in place. Even if you don’t get an internship immediately, you might make an impression and be a great candidate for an internship in following semester.
• Be open. Yes, you want an internship in your specific field because it will give you job experience and contacts in the industry. However, if you find that you aren’t able to get an internship in your field, consider opening up your options. You can get a general administrative internship and gain some skills and contacts which might open doors to better internships down the line.
• Getting the internship isn’t the end of your work. You need to excel at the internship. Learn as much as you can, do the best that you can and leave a good impression on the people that you’re working with. Even if the internship teaches you that you don’t like the field after all and that you hate the people who work in the company, you should finish out the internship commitment with a smile on your face. You don’t want to burn any bridges during your internships.

Internships can be found in companies of all sizes in fields of all areas of interest. If there’s something that you’re interested in learning how to do, volunteer your time to do it. Most businesses won’t turn down free help even if they weren’t planning on hiring an intern. Be open to doing work that isn’t quite what you’d anticipated and take every opportunity that you can to improve yourself through your internships. Consider them the greatest hands-on learning experience you’ll get while you’re in college.

 

[tags]college internships, internships, getting internships, how to get an internship, guide to college internships[/tags]

The Frugal Student: Picking The Right College For Your Pocketbook
Choosing a College That You Can Afford

College is expensive. There’s just no real way around that fact … but there is a way to get around spending a fortune on your college education. If you’re a frugal student who plans ahead and thinks about your financial options before making your college decisions, you can select a college that will let you get a good education without spending all of your savings or going into massive debt. The trick is to fill yourself with financial knowledge and be smart about the choices that you make.

Here are some things that the frugal student can think about when picking colleges:

• Start with a community college. Community college is a low-cost option for completing the first two years of your education. You can finish all of your general education courses and then transfer those to a more expensive four year college later, saving a big portion of money on the first half of your college education.
• Stay in state. Look into the costs of staying in state to attend school versus going out of state. The difference is incredible. If you’re determined to go to an out-of-state school, consider moving to the state that the school is in and working for a year while you gain state residency. You’ll save money during the work year and also be able to get the lower price of tuition when you do start college.
• Find a school that will give you a scholarship. Scholarships are available for all kinds of different things from great essays to outstanding sports skills. Identify what you do well and find a college that will give you a scholarship for it. A full scholarship is excellent but even a partial scholarship will save you money.
• Find a school that will let you do a work / study program in your area of interest. The frugal student will pick a school at which they can work, giving them both experience and some income while in school. If you can’t get a work / study job, find a school that is located near a place where you are likely to be able to obtain employment.
• Pay attention to the cost of living around your school. You are probably not going to live on campus and stay on campus for all four years of your college education. The frugal student will pick a school that is located in a town where rent and other living expenses are relatively inexpensive. Staying near home so you can live with Mom and Dad is also an option.

A student who plans ahead can greatly reduce the cost of college. Selecting the right kind of college with the right financial programs in the right geographic area can make attending college affordable. And the savings don’t end with choosing the right college. By remaining frugal throughout the college years, you can graduate with little to no debt and be well on your way to starting your career with financial stability in place.

[tag]affording college, affording school, college, choosing a college, college admissions, choose a college, cheap colleges, affordable colleges, find an affordable college, affordable classes, affordable courses, choose affordable college, college tuition[/tag]