Tips for Avoiding Procrastination

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You have the best of intentions when you sit down to do your homework. You have your books, your notepad, your laptop, your study materials… and no motivation to open any of them or start studying. Before you know it hours have passed, you’ve checked up on all of your friends on Facebook, you can recite everything happening in current events, and you have nothing to show as far as your homework is concerned. Procrastinating doing your homework may be normal, but it certainly isn’t productive and it definitely isn’t going to get you very far when it comes to passing your classes. So how do you avoid falling into the procrastination pitfall?

  1. Recognize when you’re making excuses. There are legitimate reasons for putting off doing homework and then there are excuses. For instance, if your dog is sick and needs to see a vet, that’s a good reason to delay homework. But do you really need to check your email for the fifth time before you start your homework? Is it imperative that you update your Facebook status to let everyone know that you’ll be busy for the next couple hours? Probably not. These things are just excuses for putting off the inevitable. When you start finding yourself falling back on these excuses it’s time to buck up and just get your homework done.
  2. Admit to yourself that you need help. Sometimes we procrastinate doing things that have to get done simply because we don’t actually understand the material that we’re studying and we’re intimidated at the thought of trying to tackle it. If this is the case you may want to consider hiring a tutor or going to see your teacher after class to discuss the things that you don’t understand. Far too often we’re too proud to admit that something doesn’t make sense, and so we just put off doing it instead. It’s ok to get help when you need it.
  3. Break down your to-do list into smaller tasks. If you have a lot of homework and the sheer amount of it is causing you to put off doing it then you may need to section out what you’re doing into smaller, more manageable tasks. Doing so will make it less daunting and easier to tackle, which can help give you motivation to get it done instead of putting off the inevitable.
  4. Set goals and take mini-breaks when you reach them. Instead of trying to get three hours’ worth of homework done all in one go, set goals or milestones to reach and then take mini-breaks once you reach them. Allow yourself to get up, stretch, and take a mental breather before tackling the next goal on your list. Having something to work towards can keep you motivated so that you can avoid falling into the procrastination trap.
  5. Start with the hardest homework and work toward the easiest. Don’t make the mistake of saving your hardest homework until last because by the time you’ve done the rest of your homework you definitely won’t want to spend the time or energy doing something that doesn’t come easily to you. Instead start with the hardest stuff and work backwards to the easiest. You’re less likely to procrastinate doing stuff you understand, so once you get started you can keep the ball rolling.

Procrastination can be detrimental when it comes to succeeding in school, so when you notice that you’re slipping into a pattern of procrastinating use these tips to get back on track.

Author Byline:

Ken Myers as an Expert Advisor on multiple household help issues to many Organizations and groups, and is a mentor for other “Mom-preneurs” seeking guidance.  He is a regular contributor of “http://www.gonannies.com/”.  You can get in touch with him at k.meyerst20@gmail.com.

Important Time Management Tips for Graduate Students

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One of the most challenging aspects of being a successful fulltime student can be actually managing your time in the most efficient and effective manner. As a graduate student at the doctorate level, it can feel like there’s an endless number of tasks to complete and an endlessly shrinking number of hours in the day. Put simply, it’s stressful and it’s busy. After countless years of schooling, it should be expected that you’re going to feel overwhelmed throughout much of grad school, but that feeling can still come as a surprise at times. Time management is the name of the game when it comes to maintaining a healthy outlook in grad school and keeping your head above water. All too often, we become completely overwhelmed because we’ve managed our time poorly and we have to play catch-up game. Consider these awesome time management tips to find better success inside and outside of graduate school.

Create To-Do Lists

Lists are your friend. It may sound silly or trite, but even just keeping a few post-it notes with your daily tasks can help. Sit down and compile your to-do list. This will keep you moving forward and will help you realize your goals on a constant basis. Take 10 minutes before you go to sleep each night to make a to-do list for the next day. Look through your calendar and assignments and think about the various things you need to complete. Try to think small with your daily lists. Only consider the things you have to accomplish that day and include them on the list. Of course, there are going to be longer term goals and tasks you’ll need to complete, but focus on the immediate. By looking at just want you need to do the next day, you can better plan out your future tasks in a timely manner. The first step in your to-do listing is learning to prioritize. Rank each item by importance and attack your list accordingly. Just the simple act of scratching an item off your daily to-do can be the boost you need to move on to the next step.

Use a Calendar System

Calendar systems and to-do lists come hand in hand. Before you can really lay out your to-dos for the next day, you must fully understand your larger calendar of tasks and events. Keep a calendar system that allows you to see all of your upcoming assignments, tests, papers, and events. You should look at a calendar from several different perspectives. Have a year scale, showing you everything you have to do to stay on track for the entire year and length of your graduate program—this is the first step. Next, you should look at things on a monthly scale. Lay out your monthly calendar to include all paper deadlines, classes, test dates, projects, and conferences. This will help localize your tasks some. Lastly, create a week scale that plans out your tasks and days for the week. This will show your daily appointments and deadlines. Organization is essential to success when you have a dauntingly busy schedule.

Remain Flexible

While paying careful attention to schedules and to-do lists is vital to staying afloat in the challenging world of higher academics, remaining flexible is also important. There are going to be times (many of them) that you do not meet all of your to-do tasks and that your calendar is not met thoroughly. While this can be an extremely stressful event, you have to remain flexible and adaptable. Be sure you’re able to adjust and react when things have to change. Stress can be very high, let things slide and be flexible when they need to be. Don’t allow thing outside of your scheduled calendar and to-do list completely throw off your productivity and positive mindset.

 

Melanie Foster is a blogger and freelance writer for www.onlinephdprograms.com. She is passionate about all things education and is particularly interested in helping students better navigate the sometimes-confusing world of graduate school.

The Top 5 Medical Schools in the US

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Medical schools are tough places. Not only is the education very intensive and impressive, and sometimes hard to digest, but the competition level amongst students is very high. Not everyone is cut out to be a doctor or a medical professional of any kind. In fact, it takes a rare breed of person to go after a medical degree and rise in the ranks of the medical profession. The person needs to take their studies seriously, be very smart, very dedicated and very driven. They need to handle stress very well, be dedicated to their job first and foremost and must have a big ego, as well as a streak of perfectionism. The life of a medical professional is indeed a hard and demanding life, and any student getting ready to enter that field- or is even just about it- must be prepared for all that comes with it. Medical school is a tough place to get into to- not to mention expensive- and it may even be a tougher place to finish once you get accepted into it. Here are some of the best medical schools in the country, according to studies that have been done by U.S. News, which conducts a study of medical schools every year based on MCAT scores, GPA, acceptance rate at the college, the student to faculty ratio and the grants that the school receives, in order to measure which schools are the best research facilities in the medical education world.

 

1. Harvard University (Boston, MA)

As if Harvard is not on the top of pretty much every list involving education, it is also on the top of the medical school list as the best research school in the country, and perhaps even the world. It is also one of the most expensive medical schools in the country- as it ranks in the top 10 in that category- but, it is worth it when you have a school that is as good as Harvard University.

(tied) 2. Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)

This is another very prestigious school on the list, and perhaps the most famous medical school in the entire country, if not the entire world. The school is slightly less expensive than Harvard, which beat it out for the top spot, but is much smaller and much more competitive because of that.

(tied) 2. University of Pennsylvania Perelmen- Philadelphia, PA

Tying with Johns Hopkins is a surprise on this list for anyone with just a cursory knowledge of medical schools. We all probably expected Harvard and Johns Hopkins, but very few probably expected the University of Pennsylvania to make it onto this prestigious list.

4. Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

Yet another hot shot school on the list. Stanford is known for all-around academic excellence, and its medical program is no different.

5. University of California- San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)

UCSF is another sleeper to make it onto the list, and it is one of the cheapest schools on the entire top 10 list- being almost half of what the other ones are.

Roberto writes on tons of education related topics including ranking the best pharm d programs amongst other things.

Eco Friendly Careers for Students

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Modern Environmental Awareness is Growing

We as humans have progressed monumentally in our understanding of our own interrelatedness with the environment, plants, animals, soil, water, air, and ecosystems. We have become advanced and intelligent enough as a species to really understand this relationship with nature, and care about it. Whether done for future generations, current environment, or other personal reasons, many of us today partake in “green” activities. Recycling, walking short distances as opposed to driving, consolidating or conserving resources such as electricity and gasoline, mounting solar panels on our homes and businesses; these are all green, or earth-environment friendly activities.

Green, eco-friendly careers are also an increasingly available course of action. Today, many students, and even non-students are being drawn to eco-friendly jobs. As a green worker, one can be an everyday participant in earth friendly or even proactive nature preserving duties. Not only is the worker physically contributing to the planet’s health while being paid, but they can also feel good about their overall existence and role in the overall scheme of Earth and its long term health. These green careers are quickly growing, hence great vocational security. This all is while improving lives simultaneously.

Worthy Mentionables Among Many Green Jobs

At this point, eco-friendly jobs can be fairly commonly found, splashed throughout the open job markets. They vary and are certainly worthy of a list, even if not nearly lengthy enough to contain all of them. A few green jobs, worthy of mention are:

- Environmental Engineer
- Game and Wildlife Officer
- Conservation Biologist
- Wastewater Operator
- Waste Disposal Worker
- Agricultural Inspector
- Chemist
- Environment Law Professor

Environmental Law Educators

Environmental Law Professors are great examples of specific eco-friendly workers. As environmental law is ever-present and constantly evolving, this profession is always in demand. The professors teach environmental law and preservation to future job candidates. These candidates then go on to become environmental lawyers, engineers, and various environmentally aware or eco-friendly workers and citizens. This vocation is also performed with relatively little damage or bad effects to the environment in the process.

Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineers are also a great example of specific eco-friendly workers. The focus of these types of engineers is building and structure design that produces more positive environmental effects than negative. This is the new way of engineering and man-made construction. This occupation is obviously very eco-friendly in its goals as well as in its practice.

Waste water Treatment

Waste water Operations is the complex treatment and eventual reintroduction of wastewater and its elements back into the natural environment. Through many chemical and biological processes, common drain water and waste materials are broken down and safely reintroduced. Periodically, wastewater facilities also study this reintroduction and makes sure it is 100% eco-friendly. These studies subsequently call in environmental biologists, chemists, environmental compliance workers, and many more in the eco-friendly workforce.

The Guilt-Free Career Choice

Eco-friendly careers are a great choice for students or new career seekers. Green jobs are growing with few signs of slowdown. On top of job security, green workers are privileged to be an actual paid part of the overall global solution. This guilt-free career choice should be a serious consideration to all new career seekers.

Alexis is a traveling freelance writer. She has contributed content on a variety of topics including emba programs and frugal mom advice.

10 Cool Ways to Save on Textbooks

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If you have ever attended college, you probably already know that college textbooks can cost an arm and a leg – literally! Just the other day, I was helping my sister buy a book for one of her social work classes. This professor required that she bought three books. Upon helping her, I found that if she went to the local college bookstore to purchase these, it would cost her at least $300!! Thankfully, with my saving expertise, we were able to buy these books for $55. Want to know how I did it? Well, here are 10 things that I did during college and what I recommend other people do:

#1 Buy Used

Never buy your book new. What you’re going to find out is that many used books can often cost as little as 90% less than a new book. Try places such as Amazon and eBay to find these books.

#2 Get International

An awesome way to save money is simply by purchasing an International edition. See, most textbook companies will ship their books overseas to countries such as the Philippines and China. Since these countries have a lower cost of living, the publishing companies will sell the same exact USA book at a fraction of a cost. Companies will get ahold of these books and sell them to college students at a fraction of the cost.

#3 Compare

Never just buy the first book that you come across. Consider using great sites such as BigWords.com or BookFinder.com. These websites will search hundreds of websites and come up with the best price.

#4 Coupons

Even if you find a book at a cheaper price, don’t buy it just yet. Instead, what you’re going to want to do is look for a coupon code. It’s not too uncommon to find a code for many of the textbook companies that are out there.

#5 Cash Back

Ebates.com and other cash back sites can give you up to 5% to 25% back on your purchase just by clicking a link. What you will want to do is click a link, shop and you will get the cash back in your account. Yes, it’s as easy as that!

#6 Rent

Sometimes renting will make sense. If your book is going to cost you $150 but you can find it for $25 to rent, you may want to do so. This is a great way to use the book for three months and return it afterwards. Unless you truly want to keep the textbook, you’re probably better off renting.

#7 Apps

Did you know that there are iPad and iPhone apps on the market that can bring the books directly to you? This is a great way to avoid lugging around textbooks on campus.

#8 Consider Selling

Let’s say that you bought a book for $85, but in the end, you were able to sell it for $80. As you can see, you could potentially get that textbook for $5! Before you consider renting or buying, do the math to see what makes the most sense for your situation.

#9 Are they Free?

You never know if the textbook is already online for free? Yes, while there are illegal ways that I won’t’ get into, some books are available online that won’t cost you a penny. You can generally find them by completing a simple search.

#10 The Library

The last method that I would recommend is the library. At some libraries, what you’re going to find out is that there are books that you can rent. If you want to go this route, though, just make sure that you act fast before another student gets it.

My name is Hannah and I run a website called HowMuchIsIt.org – a website that helps consumers find the price on just about anything known to man.

3 Math Classes an MBA Student Might Benefit From

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As our failing economy continues to plague the news, college students are faced with constant warnings of vast unemployment, a severely competitive job market, and, of course, mounting student debt. Needless to say, college students are not entering the “real world” with much confidence or fervor. That being said, the MBA is one of the most valuable degrees within the professional world. While more and more people are obtaining graduate degrees that lead to little promise on the job market, MBA students are ushered into well-paying, promising positions. Math is an essential component of a business education whether MBA students would like to admit it or not. Even individuals who are not interested in math related academic focuses or careers can benefit significantly from courses in mathematics. As an undergraduate online or otherwise, consider taking these mathematics courses to better prepare for a Master’s in Business Administration.

Introduction to Probability and Statistics

Probability and statistics play a huge role in the world of business and industry. This class is likely the number one most useful course a business student can complete. A basic understanding of probability and statistics can give students a better conception of what number really mean in real world situations. The actual math behind statistical analysis is generally considered more basic and simpler to grasp than topics like algebra and calculus. This makes this type of course more appealing to a non-math student. The real world application elements of statistics and probability can be extremely useful and appealing to MBA students. When dealing with numbers in the context of business (money), understanding probabilities can become undeniably helpful.

Mathematical Finance

Though the class linked above is not specifically a mathematical finance class, it does cover many of the same topics and areas. Mathematical Finance can be extremely useful for students wishing to obtain an MBA or on the path to earning an MBA. Though finance may not play a role specifically in the type of position you want to seek with your MBA degree, a general understanding of business finance can be a huge plus. Part of business education and working in the business industry is dealing with and managing money. For this reason, having knowledge and being comfortable with mathematical aspects of finances is important. Things in industry come down to the dollars and the cents—gain an understanding of finances for a more well-rounded business education.

Calculus I

Just the term “calculus” is enough to scare many individuals off. For many complicated (and not so complicated) reasons, math has gained a bad rap among many people throughout the population. Calculus is one of the subjects that many people will declare “hating” before they’ve even really experienced it. A general understanding of calculus I can be extremely beneficial to business students interested in pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration. Many elements of calculus are applied to statistics, probability, and finance. While calculus is in many ways removed from the “everyday” properties of math that business students more easily align with, the practices and techniques used in calculus are endlessly useful.

An experienced writer on all things related to higher education and business, Amanda Watson spends her days covering the latest stories on various topics such as online mba rankings, web entrepreneurship, and social media marketing. You can contact Amanda at watsonamanda.48@gmail.com.

3 Reasons Every Pre-Med Student Deserves a Post-MCAT Vacation

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So, you want to become a doctor. Unfortunately, the road there is one of the most difficult pursuits in academia, and for good reason. One of the most monumental landmarks in the journey to practicing medicine is taking and passing the MCAT. This test will determine what type of med school you can attend and, ultimately, whether you can become a doctor or not. Any pre-med student will tell you it is a very big deal. They will also tell you that it was one of the most difficult tests they had ever prepared for at the time. With all this work and stress centered on the MCAT, it would do any pre-med student a world of good to do some major relaxing after they have finally completed the process.

1. Give your mind a rest.

Ideally, you should spend about 40 hours a week studying for the MCAT. That equates to a full-time job. It doesn’t matter when you are applying for med school, cramming in 40 hours a week for study time is no easy task. Students are often in the middle of classes, have other jobs, are working on research projects, or have extracurricular activities that need to be taken care of before they can even begin to focus on study time. Many students opt to split up their time the best they can during the week and then take about 20 hours every weekend to study. After all this preparation, the mind is full of enough information to fill a couple encyclopedias. And, not only does this information need to be recalled perfectly to ace the test, the mental exhaustion that pre-med students suffer as a result of the extensive preparation can become overwhelming. After you take the test, this is the absolute best time to give your ticker a much-needed rest. Actually transporting yourself to a different location is the perfect way to get your mind, which is now overloaded with information and worry about your score, to become clear again.

2. Celebrate.

If you have already gone through the process of studying for the MCAT, you know how much work it is. If you’re just starting down the road of preparing for the test, you will understand as soon as you walk out of that testing center how stressed you were and how much of a relief it is to finally finish that exam. If you want to become a doctor, there is absolutely no better time than directly after the MCAT to jet off to the beach or another favorite getaway to celebrate your hard work. Finishing the MCAT is no small feat, so anyone who does it deserves to treat themselves to some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

3. Re-focus on your goals.

As soon as you finish that MCAT test and receive your score, one phase of the journey to practicing medicine is complete. Let’s hope you were happy with your original score and can use it to begin applying to medical schools. If not, you will have to re-take the test. But, assuming things go as planned, you will receive your score and begin the next leg of your journey – the application process. Once you know your scores, you will have a bit more perspective on the types of schools that could accept you. As you think about where you want to go and what type of medicine you would like to practice, this is actually the perfect time to get away. A vacation lends a bit of breathing room. It will allow for some time to reflect on your journey so far, re-generate, and think about why you truly want to practice medicine in the first place. Sometimes, the difference between getting into a good med school and a great one is the amount of passion you have for medicine. Get back in touch with that passion after you rid yourself of those MCAT worries by taking a week away.

Amelia Wood is a blogger and freelance writer who often writes to explain medical billing and coding online. She welcomes your questions and comments at amelia1612@gmail.com.

Choosing Between a Master’s Degree in Education and a Teaching Certification

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The demand for teaching professionals has been just about unceasing in recent years. Because there is a continual influx of professionals in and out of various facets of the teaching profession, which can include teachers moving up into administrator positions, teachers returning to the classroom themselves for advanced degrees and certifications, and teachers taking time off for other educational activities, there are always opportunities for qualified teachers. If you are currently pursuing a special education degree online or offline, or another type of teaching-readiness program, this will be sweet music to your ears.

The fact is that teaching is one of the most secure, portable and fulfilling careers you can choose. You have daily proof that your efforts are making a difference, you can find work in any state once you are properly certified and you can even teach overseas in a number of different exciting programs. There are also other perks and benefits to becoming a teacher, including discounts on products and services. Here, learn what to consider if you are not yet qualified to teach and are trying to choose between two common routes into the teaching profession: a master’s degree in education and a teaching certification.

The Most Important Piece of Information You Can Possibly Know

The main thing you will need to know before you pursue the additional training and certification that is required to teach is that you first will need to earn your undergraduate degree before you can advance to earn your teaching credentials. So if you have not yet completed that step, focus your efforts there. Once you have graduated with your bachelor’s degree, there are two routes that you can take to earn your teaching credentials. Both routes have pros and cons; in the case of a teaching certification, one does not cancel out the potential need for the other in the long run, depending on what your career goals as a teaching professional may be.

Some aspiring teachers choose to go the teaching certification route, because in nearly every case, it will be quicker, cheaper and will allow you to begin teaching immediately even as you earn your certification. A teaching certification program is designed to offer these three benefits to teaching candidates; the program arose specifically to meet the incessant demand for teachers as quickly and efficiently as possible.  Some programs are offered online and you can proceed at your own pace right from your home computer. Other programs require attendance at a local campus and most of these classes will be on nights and weekends to accommodate students who are already holding a day job.

Opting for Other Alternatives

If you choose to go the more traditional route and earn your masters of education degree, you can expect to need one to two full years in order to complete the program; you may or may not be able to keep working regularly while you do so, depending on when your courses occur and what your per semester course load is. Choosing an online program can alleviate some of the time burden and give you more needed flexibility. Also, you may be eligible for teaching internships, but you will not be able to teach as a full-fledged professional until you have completed the proscribed period of student teaching and have acquired your teaching certification. However, once you have your master’s in education degree under your belt, you have more career options, then if you had pursued the alternative certification route.

Climbing Up the Ladder

You can move up into administration as a principal or assistant principal; you can also teach in community college or other local college programs. And you will likely earn yourself a salary upgrade as well, because you hold an advanced degree that your fellow teachers, who chose an alternative certification program, do not.

You will also have more options for how to finance your education than if you chose an alternative certification program, and the salary upgrade will help with paying off student loans. There are pros and cons to both the masters in education and alternative certification routes; both will allow you to follow your dreams of becoming a teacher, so your task will simply be to choose the right route for you.

Bill Hoffman is on the cusp of receiving his PA teacher certification (at long last). He lives in Philadelphia and hopes to work in one of the lower-income school districts there.

Success in the Classroom

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Strategies for improving education in the classroom are found all around the web, but not all strategies are the same. Students need teachers who are able to prepare clear lesson plans and deliver curriculum material in such a way that students with a variety of learning styles are still able to learn material necessary for meeting state and local requirements. Success in the classroom is not only a matter of creativity, but also a matter of proven scientific methods. The methods should be applied in the most creative manner possible. Finding effective methods for literacy in the urban school setting have five basic steps to follow.

In the urban setting, effective methods start with first evaluating the needs of the students within the setting. This is teaching with the context in mind. Next, the practices and theoretical framework has to be underlined and shown to be effective in studies. After these two steps, the literacy methods have to be isolated and implemented. Next, there has to be a formal and consistent way to evaluate the outcome. Finally, the advice on changes should be appropriated. This is the methodology behind literacy programs as discussed by the team of Scott, Teale, Carry, Johnson, and Morgan in a 2009 article for International Reading Association’s “The Reading Teacher”. It was explained that the urban setting presents very clear yet complex problems that must be addressed methodically. As these basic methodical ideas address the primary grades, there are ideas that present solutions at the secondary level.

Boling and Evans (2008), present the idea of Scaffolded Reading in their research which is designed to establish a purpose for reading and then activate a student’s prior knowledge of a specific topic. There is a pre-reading strategy, during reading strategy, and an after reading strategy. The pre-reading strategy is summed up by listing grouping and labeling. Each helps the student categorize information or lean from the text. During the reading the student is challenged to visualize, understand structure, and self-regulate. The after reading strategy is used to bring it all together through writing a summary, which includes a topic sentence, supporting details, and a closing statement. This method is not unusual in the urban context but is mostly found in the suburban areas.

Reading and literacy are the forefront of success in the classroom because it deals very specifically with comprehension. If a student is unable to get a full grasp of any material, they are more likely to fail. Reading and math are the most core and fundamental subject matter that have to be understood and built upon early. Successful teachers will be able to use Scaffolded Reading and other basic literacy methods to address learning challenges that student will face throughout their learning process. It is important to revisit ideas and make adjustments accordingly. As Scffolded Reading dictates, students become more independent in their thinking and will be able to more accurately define the text they are reading.

The new teaching paradigm is one that offers more challenges than answers to the educator as well as new frustrations for the learning adolescent. Being prepared with an understanding of each individual’s special needs and abilities will enhance any good strategy or method. Careful observation must be made by the instructor and they must also be ready to give good feedback to parents and administration on legitimate progress or setbacks. Success is not the enemy of enthusiasm, but the fuel by which students will be motivated to go on.

Byline

This article was written by Jorgen Rex Olson for the team at justcolleges.com. They can help you gain experience in your field with continuing education programs.

How to Better Your Chances at Getting Into Your Dream College

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Getting into college is a daunting task for any high school senior; however adequately preparing yourself ahead of time can ease some of the stress that accompanies applying for admission. One of the biggest deterrents to getting into your dream school is procrastinating preparing for admissions’ applications and essays, leaving your resume full of holes instead of showcasing your talents. The trick to bettering your chances at getting into your dream school is doing everything in your power to be prepared ahead of time and padding your resume with plenty of extras that showcase your strengths. You can help your cause by:

  1. 1.     Getting involved in extracurricular activities. Being able to show prospective colleges that you have interests outside of the classroom and that you are able to balance those interests with your schoolwork makes you a more attractive option. Colleges want students who are well-rounded and well-adjusted, and also who are able to delegate their time effectively. Engaging in extracurricular activities shows you have drive and determination.
  2. 2.     Volunteering. Like with extracurricular activities, volunteering showcases some of your best assets. With so many people applying to college at the same time you need to be able to stand out in the crowd, and showing that you are selfless and dedicated to helping others can do just that.
  3. 3.     Asking for letters of recommendation. Having two or three glowing letters of recommendation from different authority figures in your life can pad your chances of getting into your dream school.  These letters supplement the information that you’re already providing to the college through you resume and admissions’ application, and show the college that the information you’re providing them is valid. Resumes and applications can be deceiving, and having a trusted source back up what you’re telling the college can be the difference between getting accepted and getting rejected.
  4. 4.     Keeping up with the college throughout the year. Social media has made it easy for people to keep up with their favorite schools, as colleges are posting exhaustive information regarding the school on social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. Keeping up to date with what’s happening on campus can give you an edge on the competition during your college interviews, as you’ll be able to knowledgeably discuss current school events with your interviewer. It also shows how interested you really are in being a part of the school.
  5. 5.     Don’t forget your grades. As you try to keep up with all of the other facets of getting into a good college, it can be easy to let one of the most important things slip out of focus: your grades. Supplementing your resume is a great practice to employ, but you can’t let it take up so much of your time that your grades suffer in the process.

By adequately preparing yourself in all aspects of your life for college admissions you will vastly increase your chances of getting into your dream college. Make sure to get involved outside of school in addition to maintaining good grades to show your dream school that you are serious and motivated.

 

Author Byline:

Kelsey  is the editor in chief for findananny. She loves to write article and ideas that parents & nannies would be interested in hearing. She helps society on giving information about nannies through  online nanny finder. She is a professional writer & loves writing on anything.

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