Tag Archives: school

Apr6

Have Fun & Impress College Admissions Officers

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Have Fun & Impress College Admissions Officers

The world of college admissions has never been more competitive, which means that if you want to get into the college of your choice, being academically successful alone isn’t enough. If you want to wow the admissions officers and secure your place, you need to dedicate yourself to other activities that show them that you’re an interesting, well-rounded, and dedicated person, whose presence at their college will make it a better place. The good news is, many of the extracurricular activities you can use to impress the college admissions officers are also a lot of fun. Here are some of the best ways that you can spruce up your college application when the time comes:

Volunteer: Volunteering shows that you are a caring person who is willing to go out of their way to help people and do something for the good of your community and the rest of the world. When you volunteer, you can also pick up a range of skills that will surely impress. Because there are so many volunteering needs from helping out at an animal shelter to teaching overseas, you will almost certainly be able to find an opportunity that you truly love and which is a joy to participate in.

Take a Class: Did you know that you can take online college classes? If you want to show the admissions officers that you’re serious about learning and you’re capable of succeeding in college, enrolling in a college class is a great way to do that. You’ll get credit towards your college degree and you’ll find out what it’s like to be in college. Some people even do their whole degree online, which leaves them free to travel, work, and fit in other commitments around their studies

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I did almost all of my college classes online!

Start Your Own Business: Setting up your own business and becoming an entrepreneur is a great way to show the admissions board that you have drive, creativity, and motivation. Even if you’re business just involves selling your creations on Etsy, it’s a great way to make an impact on your app.

Spend the Summer Overseas: Living overseas for a summer is a great way of getting out of your comfort zone and exploring new cultures. There are a number of programs available to young people, which combine overseas travel with volunteering, learning, and skill-building and they will almost always look impressive on your college application, painting you as a confident, cultured individual.

Try For An Internship: Internships, whether paid or unpaid, in your chosen field of study, will enable you to get hands-on experience in the industry which will give you a competitive edge against many other applicants. It’ll also give you the chance to find out if you really do want to work in a particular field when you graduate or explore other options while in school.

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I loved my college internship 🙂

Whatever you choose to do, don’t waste your time doing things of little importance when you could be improving your prospects. Sure, take time out to have fun and chill out in front of Netflix, but do something worthwhile with your time, too, and the colleges will be fighting for you to join their campus!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Mar31

Furthering Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

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Furthering Your Education, Your Career, Your Life

Choosing to further your education can be a daunting task. If you have already started in the world of work and have had somewhat of a gap between the last time you sat in a classroom and where you find yourself today, don’t fear – not much has changed in what you need to do to get you to where you need to be; you still need to knuckle down and put in the effort required, as well as the following steps:

Prepare Yourself: Preparing yourself to go back into a world of learning is something that will take a bit of time. For starters, you will need to visit colleges to make sure you’re choosing the right one. What does your ideal college experience look like? Do you want to live on campus? Commute or learn online? Perhaps you even want to study abroad! Prior to visiting colleges, it’s important to have a clear vision of how you want these next several years to go. That way, you won’t settle for anything less.

You’ll need to get yourself focused with a clear conscience and the right attitude to tackle any workload. The reason that quite a lot of people don’t think about furthering their education when they’re making their way through adulthood is the whole host of responsibilities that you’ll inevitably have running alongside. This means all of the washing, cooking, cleaning, and bills that you have to uphold whilst still doing school work, plus all of the other jobs that you have to uphold to keep a house running – especially if you’ve got children. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. There are loads of examples of people who have made their way through college or another form of education while still running a successful household.

Should trips to campus for classes be too much with your schedule – that’s okay! There are countless different options for furthering your education online. Remote learning can earn you your diploma or a certificate and can be completed on the go or from home. You can also consider online courses for a specific career path. For example, if you are interested in cyber security you could explore the course options available through https://www.cybrary.it . Career specific courses can often be completed quicker than a traditional degree and will still open lots of doors in the working world.

Get The Materials: There is so much more than a pen and paper that you’ll now need to get yourself through the years that you have committed yourself to. There are must haves such as books, online resources (so you’ll need access to a computer), and other higher-learning materials that you will need to be able to grab a hold of at a moment’s notice to help with essays and other learning projects. Getting the staples such as pens, pencils, and paper will also help, as neolithic as it sounds nowadays! Talk about old school!

It’s important to note that you will need a great computer if you are choosing an online education like this STEM School Certification or virtual associate degree programs. You will also need to have fast, dependable internet so you can always access your learning materials.

Find a Mentor: You can reinvigorate your education and career path at any point in your life, but one constant is that you should find a mentor to emulate and an example to follow. This can be a teacher, a professional, or an expert in your chosen field. For example, people like Caitlin Brodie of Greenwich have succeeded professionally and have offered to train others in leadership skills and other abilities that are useful in the business world.

If you can get a private tutor in addition to your basic education and your classes in your course, you will find that you progress much more quickly and completely. Of course, it’s beneficial to be selective in who you choose to follow, and there’s nothing to say that you can’t learn from the example of multiple mentors as well. Find what works for you.

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Pretty!

Learn The Code: There is a code of conduct set in place in every educational faculty, and it is up to you to upkeep the core values and morals that it is displaying. There can be disastrous consequences to your learning path if you violate the code – you can find more at Duffy Law about the steps that you need to take should that happen. It’s definitely a good thing to learn ahead of time what is required of you in terms of on campus conduct.

Make Friends: Just because you are studying doesn’t mean that this isn’t a chance to make new friends. People are usually on the same course as you because they have at least one common interest: the subject at hand. It’s good to have study buddies with you regardless of what age you are or how independent you feel; discussing and exchanging ideas about what you are educating yourself on is a great method of making your learning deep-rooted rather than superficial and easily forgettable. When you begin to explain to someone what you know and how to do something, you are further teaching yourself and cementing any rough ideas that you had.

Congratulations on beginning your higher education journey. Now get out there and learn, learn, learn!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Mar22

Making Your Graduation Extra Special

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Making Your Graduation Extra Special

The day of your college graduation is an incredibly happy and special one. It is the penultimate moment of everything that you have worked and studied so hard for – in fact, it’s probably the biggest moment of your life to date! Most colleges (and even high schools) make quite a big deal out of graduation, with a formal ceremony and the opportunity to bring your family along to support you. For many people, it can be an emotional day, as it signals the end of a specific chapter of your life and the start of new beginnings. It’s only natural that you should want to go the extra mile when it comes to celebrating it. Here are a few things that you can do, both before the ceremony and on the day itself to make sure that your graduation day is one that you will never forget:

Plan Your Outfit: Just like with your prom, your graduation is one of those days where all eyes are going to be on you. This is especially true for the moment when you go up on stage to collect your degree – pretty nerve wracking stuff, eh? So, it makes sense that you would want to look your best for such a momentous occasion. Start planning at least a couple of months in advance: remember that a lot of colleges have their graduations around the same time, so you don’t want to find that your dream dress has already sold out! Pick something that you are comfortable in – nothing too heavy or revealing. Graduation day can be a long one, with the ceremony, award giving, a meal, and then sometimes a night out after. Try and find a happy medium between style and comfort – it will work in your favor.

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Shoe Heaven!!

Show Your Appreciation to Your Classmates: At college, you tend to meet a lot of people and have friends from lots of different groups. You may be close to your roommate or maybe the people on your sports team. But chances are you’ll have formed relationships with the other students in your courses as well and this is your chance to express your gratitude for them. You may want to get some of your course friends a gift by way of congratulations – it doesn’t need to be anything extravagant, more just a token of appreciation. A good option for this is a graduation lei. Now, you may wonder why we give leis for graduation. They are actually an ancient symbol and is said to offer good luck to the recipient. Pretty appropriate for a graduation day and something that your friend can treasure forever.

Take Pictures: Just like with any major event, it’s likely that your graduation day will pass in a bit of a blur. There are so many people and so many things to get through – but try and remember to take pictures! If you are too busy socializing, ask a relative or friend to snap some candid shots of you and your friends enjoying the day. You’ll probably get an official graduation picture taking by a professional photographer, but sometimes these unexpected photos can end up being the best shots of the day.

Congrats, Grad!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Feb27

Improve Your Chances Of Getting A Job

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Improve Your Chances Of Getting A Job

So you are out of college and into the real world. Now the next step is to find a job. But in the current climate, it can be trickier than ever to secure one. There might be twenty of you all lined up for interviews, all with the same course behind you. In fact, many people are left down in the dumps when they haven’t received a job offer months after they finished college. When the competition is stiff, here is how you can improve your chances of getting a job:

Get Some Experience: One thing which can help you stand out from others is work experience. Of course, it can be hard to get experience when it means you have to work for free. Having bills to pay is no joke. But, if you can try to get a couple of weeks of work experience in a job, you will have some great new skills to talk about when you go for job interviews. And in some cases, work experience can actually lead to a full-time position if you impress your employer. Make sure you get some references from the employer and keep any work you do to put in your portfolio. It will help you infinitely when it comes to securing a new position.

Commit To A Follow Up Course: Despite the fact that you completed your course, it’s always good to consider doing a follow up course after you have finished. Doing a CE course can help you pick up extra skills that you need for the job. And, if a potential employer sees that you have had the training already, it could save them time and funds if they hire you. This might help put you a step ahead of others when going for an interview. Look into the additional courses that you could take (look online, too) to help you secure a job. Knowledge is power!

Mingle With People In The Industry: It’s also a good idea to get to know people in the industry if you are hoping to improve your chances of getting a job. Unfortunately, it’s often about who you know when landing a job. Impressing someone in the field could ensure that you are the first to know about upcoming positions. It’s time to get on platforms like LinkedIn and get to know people in the field. You can also join groups on the site and give your opinion on the latest goings in the industry. And as we said before, network in spaces where people in your industry are likely to schmooze. For example, you might want to attend trade shows and corporate events to meet people in your dream field. And name dropping people during your interview could give you a helping hand to a second interview or a full time position.

And remember to practice your interviewing skills so that you are well-rehearsed before attending the interview. Preparation is powerful in helping to shake away those pre-interview jitters!

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Success!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Jan27

Curiosity Kills? No – Kids’ Curiosity Gives Them Skills

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Curiosity Kills? No – Kids’ Curiosity Gives Them Skills

A major part of ensuring your children grow up intelligent is encouraging curiosity. We learn more than anything by asking questions. A person could walk past an almost silent classroom and be tricked into assuming that learning was going ahead perfectly. But the classroom where pupils are asking questions is more likely to see a real transfer of knowledge. As long as they’re the right questions, of course!

That curiosity is often what separates the child who will get A and A+ in their exams from those who will get just pass marks. When it comes to excelling in history, it is useful to know that Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon. It is better yet to know why he did it. This curiosity is a part of any subject. Quite early on in learning a language, we will learn full sentences (such as “Comment t’appelles-tu?”). It might then be months or even years until we understand all the parts of that sentence. But understanding what each word means will give a student more confidence in speaking the language.

As a parent, it is useful to be able to encourage this kind of curiosity in a child. Taking a full part in your kids’ education can help them perform better in the classroom and in exams. Here are some tips to making your child’s life as educationally fun as possible:

If You’re Going To Watch TV, Find Time For Brainy Viewing: A lot of people have the opinion that watching TV is bad for children, insisting that they should be studying textbooks and doing homework. Of course, those parts of education are important, but TV can play a part, too. Historical dramas and documentaries on a range of subjects and the evening news are all worth watching. So, too, are quiz shows. Kids of all ages are pleased to see their knowledge reinforced. They will also be keen to enhance it in areas where they’re less strong at the moment.

You’ll Learn More By Traveling: It’s fair to say that if your child went on every school trip, it could end up costing you a great deal of money. Prioritizing the best ones for them can work out well, though. If they show a flair for languages, then school trips to Berlin and similar cities can enhance that knowledge. It’s also worth bearing it in mind when planning family holidays.

You can show support and encouragement for your child’s curiosity by participating in field trips too. You could provide transportation or be a chaperone, which will let your kiddo know you want to be there and learn. After the different expert-led school trips you take part in, make a point to discuss it with your child. What they liked, what could have been better, the most interesting thing that they learned, etc. This is a win/win situation as your kiddo will gain new knowledge as well as quality time with you!

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 Family vaca, anyone?

Take The Chance To Learn More Yourself: Any parent will know how much joy there is in teaching their young ones something and seeing it stick. From the moment they potty-train successfully onwards, there will be chances to do so. It never stops being satisfying. What we often don’t realize is that kids enjoy this feeling too. When you ask them about what they’re studying, and they tell you something you didn’t know, show how impressed you are and ask more questions. This will encourage them to keep learning themselves.

And if there’s a subject that you find interesting, why not take a few lessons yourself, at a night class or online? Speaking French around the house or swapping books on art or history can fuse a common interest which will be useful to you both. Curiosity, at any age, is something we should encourage.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jan23

If Your Future Isn’t Too Clear, Why Not Consider Taking a Gap Year?

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If Your Future Isn’t Too Clear, Why Not Consider Taking a Gap Year?

Taking a gap year before or after college tends to be quite a European thing that I want in on. But more and more of us over here are choosing to take a gap year before we study. Take Malia Obama, for instance. She has planned to take a year out before she starts her freshman year at Harvard. So if you think that it sounds like a good idea to you, then you probably don’t need any more convincing. But if you are not sure, here are a few ways that taking a year out will benefit you:

You’ll Do Well at College: A lot of people think that it will be hard to get back to school after taking some time out. But in fact, reports from colleges have shown that students that take a gap year have a higher grade point average than those who don’t. So it won’t be as hard to get back to hitting the books as you might think. If you go straight from high school to college, it could be the first time that you’ve been away from home. So because of that, your grades might not be as high as they could be. But after a gap year exploring the world, you’ve already been away from home and got the partying out of your system, so to speak.

You’ll Explore With No Other Obligations: When you go exploring on a gap year right out of high school, you will be doing so at the prime age. After college, you might have debt to pay off. Any longer after college you might have a commitment like a mortgage or children, which makes it harder to just get up and go. If you do want to see some more of the world, then taking a gap year is the best time to do it.

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Wooooo!

You’ll Experience New Cultures and People: One of the benefits of travel is that you get to experience new cultures. It benefits people massively to be able to travel and see how other people live. You can do this by staying with local people through programs for gap years and by looking for things like Homestay accommodation. Then you get to see things in a much more authentic way, rather than through a hostel or hotel. You’ll get to experience the foods that people have on a daily basis, as well as how things work over there with schools or religion, for example.

You’ll Learn Life Skills: It isn’t just a big party when you are on a year out. You will look for ways to work or volunteer so that you can make the most of the country that you are in. You can also learn life skills like budgeting, cooking, cleaning, and navigating your way through foreign transport systems or driving on the other side of the road. All of which give you life experience that will prepare you for the new stage of your life in college.

Featured Image By: Flickr

Jan20

Getting Ready For College This Year? My Tips To Help

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Getting Ready For College This Year? My Tips To Help

If you’re going to be heading to college after the summer, then it can be a daunting time for many people. The transition from high school to college is quite a big one. Because let’s face it, it’s not like you are just changing schools. You are starting your life out as a young adult as many people leave home for college. So you go from having family around that can help to living with people that you barely know. How can you prepare? Here are some hints and tips to make sure that you get the most out of your freshman year at college:

Get Reading: The amount of reading that you’ll be required to do in college is a big step up from what you will have been doing in high school. So it is a good idea to get a bit of a head start with it. You can find out about your course online and what might be required. Then you can make a start on gathering books and things that you will need. You could even get a head start over the summer with some of the reading. What you read is more important than how much you read. So make sure that you are choosing books that will be relevant.

Sharpen Up Your Tech Skills: There is no point in getting a new laptop computer the day before you are due to start college. If you’re in a new area and don’t know people that can help, you could get a little left behind if you don’t know how your laptop works. The same goes for typing and basic computer skills. The generations going to college now are probably more clued in than the last. You don’t want to get left behind if there were things that you could have done about it.

Consider a College Consultant: If you are still in the process of applying for college, then it might be worth getting a college consultant. Having a mentor that has been to the college that you want to attend can make a massive difference. They will have the insider’s point of view that can help you massively when making your college application.

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Yay!

Practice Your People Skills: College is a great time to hone in on your people skills. It is the perfect time because you’ll be meeting lots of new and different people. You will be living with them, as well as putting together presentations, and working in groups with them. So do what you can while you are in high school to get prepared. Get involved in group work, volunteer for leadership opportunities, as well as helping with school events.

Time Management: Good time management is pretty essential when you are in college. You don’t have parents or teachers chasing you for your work or projects so you need to learn how to best manage your time. If you keep procrastinating, it can affect meeting your deadlines and doing well at college so it is crucial to learn how to manage your time wisely and effectively.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Dec22

New Graduation Pic!

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New Graduation Pic!

Heyy everyone and happy Thursday! Yesterday evening the professional photographers from my graduation uploaded the shots that they took for purchasing. I was feeling really nervous that there wouldn’t be any pictures that I liked because, unfortunately, I hated all of the pictures of me that my brother took! Luckily, there was one totally perf picture in the bunch that didn’t feature a weird walking across the stage angle or a (Yikes!) double chin!!

Instead of purchasing a photo package of the pic which was super costly, my parents and I decided to buy a digital download of the image so that we could print it out however we want. This picture was taken right before I walked across the stage and I freaking love it! Take a look:

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Aw!! :*)

Even though we had to shell out the moolah to get this picture, it was so worth it, considering there wasn’t a picture taken that I deemed worthy enough to print out and frame. I love how this pic shows off the stole and honor chord so nicely and I really like the background, too! GREAT SUCCESS!!

I hope all of you have a fab day and I will talk to all of you soon! Who is ready for the holidays? Does anyone have any last minute shopping to finish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec16

Graduation Pictures!

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Graduation Pictures!

Hi everyone and TGIF!! Yesterday was my big day – I graduated from college!! If you don’t already know, I just got my Associate of Arts degree from Cuyahoga Community College. The graduation ceremony was last night and it was great! It was barely over an hour, too, which was especially nice because I much prefer short and sweet over something long and drawn out. My (almost) entire family came out to watch me strut across the stage but unfortunately my dad was really sick and couldn’t make it. Luckily, there are some great pictures and videos to show him, including some of these:

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Walking across the stage to shake hands, kiss some babies, and get my diploma was freaking awesome. AND I was magna cum laude or however you spell it so that’s pretty cool, too! There will definitely be more pictures to come from the ceremony because they had a professional photographer taking pictures and I know he snapped some good ones!

Now, I have my graduation party to look forward to tomorrow! In the afternoon I will have an open house style get together at my home for my family, Special Olympics students, and some former teachers. Then, in the evening my friends and I will go to my favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, for some drinks and some good old fashioned white girl wasted tom foolery. I CAN’T WAIT!! I haven’t had a day dedicated just for me in a long time so it is going to be a lot of fun to bask in the glory of being a genius college graduate for the day!

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend and a fabulous day today! How did you celebrate your high school or college graduation? What drink(s) should I get tomorrow night to celebrate? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec15

Graduation Day!

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Graduation Day!

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! Today is my big day! At six o’clock this evening, I will be walking across the stage at Cleveland State University to receive my Associate of Arts degree from Cuyahoga Community College. I AM SO EXCITED!! For exactly two years, I have worked my little ass off to obtain my degree and I am so proud of myself for finally achieving it with a killer grade point average to boot!

I have taken many wonderful classes and I have taken some that were complete shit. I have had some amazing professors but I’ve also had a few that have sucked on ice. However, I would not change my college experience for a thing. I did things my way, accomplished my degree on my time, and gained a plethora of new knowledge and skills that I never dreamed of having before.

Upon completion of school, I plan on dedicating my time from January to June completing my work for my job with the National Core Indicators. Then, I will begin looking for work in a group home or day program setting. I will then look forward to traveling around Summit County in Ohio to continue my work distributing the Adult Consumer Survey for those with mental and physical disabilities for the year 2017.

I have big plans for work but I also want to travel. I want to make time for me, myself, and I – and my family, friends, and boyfriend of course! After a year or so, I plan on going back to Tri-C to obtain my Associate of Science so that I can have a double associates degree. I am so excited and proud about how bright my future looks and I look forward to sharing all of the details with you guys every step of the way!

Hurray for my Graduation Day! Pictures will be up at some point this weekend of me looking snazzy in my cap and gown so please be on the look out! Until then, what was the mascot or nickname for your college or high school? How did you answer the question “what do you want to be when you grow up”? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah