Facing Your Fears: How to Talk with College Representatives

There can be a number of intimidating encounters that you will experience along your college admissions journey; among them is when you’re directly communicating with college admission representatives at college fairs. You may feel as though you have to be careful with your words and the way in which you present yourself to them, or that they come to college fairs to hunt down information on prospective students. However, these common misconceptions are false. College representatives come to college fairs simply as resources. All they want to do is provide you with as much information about their school as they can and to answer any questions or concerns that you have. They are not there to find out your deepest darkest secrets and put your name on a list of future rejections. So no need to fear, here’s a guide on topics you can discuss with college representatives.

Be Specific

When speaking with an admissions representative, you should always ask questions that are specific to the particular college or university that they are representing, rather than asking broader, general questions that can simply be answered on the College Board website. For example, instead of asking what the GPA or SAT/ACT standards are for that school, ask about the kinds of aspects that the school particularly looks for in prospective students. Try asking more open-ended questions rather than yes/no questions so that you are given as much information as possible.

Do Research

You should also do a bit of research on the colleges that you are interested in looking into before you attend the fair, so that you have a better understanding of the school as well as some things you may want to ask the representatives. Ask them about specific academic programs at their school or the campus environment. Not only does this allow you to have more accurate information, but it also shows the representative that you genuinely have an interest in that particular school. Don’t worry too much about that last part though; like I said, they’re not hunting for prospective students. This is just something that they appreciate, and may take note of when they review your application. However, do not be afraid to talk to representatives from schools you have never heard of because you might end up liking it a lot more than other schools you researched.

Act Casual

More than anything, the discussion between you and a college representative is nothing more than a conversation. So don’t treat it as if it’s an interview that your whole future depends on. Act casually, and speak to them like they’re actual people that you’re interested in speaking to. This doesn’t mean that you should rest your feet on a table and share a joke or two with them, however. It’s just important to keep in mind that these people are just here to help you; nothing more, nothing less.

So just keep in mind that college representatives are simply sources of information about particular schools, and there's absolutely no harm in speaking with them. You'll probably leave the college fair with so much more information than you expected if you do.

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Why You Should Consider Being a Student Abroad

Why students should consider becoming international students, and where to start.

Maybe you've been seduced by cities lights of Paris, maybe you’ve flirted with the idea of researching new animals in the faraway jungles of the Congo. Maybe you are just so done with your parents, and you want a little room to breathe. Whatever the motivation, studying internationally for college is great opportunity to not only experience learning in a new way, but also enhance your cultural knowledge, meet a diverse range of people, gain independence and self-reliance, and try new foods. But mostly try new foods, because c'mon. Food.

Write Your Own Story

On a more serious note, in the competitive society that rules our world today (and if you are applying, or even looking into college, you've experienced it first hand), anything that sets you apart from the next person is something you can use to your advantage. The American school system is very streamlined so it can be hard to break out of the groove that has been set in place for almost a century. However, an often overlooked method of developing your personal resume is to become an international student. An international student is a student that attends a college abroad for the duration of their studies. But let's be real. As easy as it is to read the definition of an international student, it is a whole other ballgame being one. College is a time of new knowledge, friendships, and to experience such an influential time in your life in a new country...well, that's anything but easy. But don't you dare be intimidated! International students are prized and coveted students of universities all over the world, often times increasing the diversity on campus that the staff, students, and institutions benefit from.

It’s All About Ambition

So what does it take to be a part of the population that earned their degrees abroad? Many sources claim that students need to know a second language to study internationally, but with the UK being the second most popular country for international students (with the United States leading), a language barrier is the least of worries. What's more, many colleges abroad (such as Universities in Germany, the Nordic countries, India, and Taiwan) do not charge a tuition. The only costs are a processing fee for the application, and the price of housing, food, and other necessities. So if the language barrier isn't a problem and money is not a prominent issue, what kind of student benefits from an international experience? In short, the type of student that truly benefits from studying international is a student who seizes the day and every opportunity that comes along as well. Becoming an international student is an ambitious feat, so naturally, the student also must be, well, ambitious! To be ambitious in the context of being an international student means consciously seeking opportunities to embrace foreign culture, striving to succeed in a new learning environment, empowering yourself to make smart, important (and sometimes life changing) decisions without the counsel of your parents, and graciously opening yourself up to new people, places, and ideas.

Just Get Off The Couch

At this point, you should be asking yourself, “Am I ambitious? Do I have what it takes to be an international student?” And the honest truth is, the answer to either of the questions above does not have to be “yes”... at least, not yet. Ambition can be an innate trait in people, but often times, ambition is learned. Ambitious people are not always the people who get straight “A”s, or the star athletes of your school. To be ambitious is to set a goal out of your comfort zone, and through trials and tribulations, eventually reach your goal and succeed in an environment you never thought you could. So, since there is no time like the present, start now; be a little more ambitious every day. Raise your hand in class, slay that speech in English class, make friends with the new kid at school, but whatever it is, just keep doing. Every time you pushed yourself to be a more ambitious person will add up, and soon you will be on your way to being an international student, and more importantly, a kick-butt adventure-taking, goal-achieving, all-around-interesting human being. Who could ask for more than that?

In the meantime, evaluate yourself. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? Will studying internationally help you achieve your goals or help you be a better person? And, if the answer is yes, get going! Be ambitious, adventurous, every single thing in between! Use those city lights in Paris as motivation, or those new animals species in the Congo you will someday discover. Heck, if it comes to it, use your parents’ nagging as motivation to get up, and get going. A world of opportunity (and new food) is waiting for you. But mostly food, because c’mon. Food.

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Three Ways to Choose the Best Fit College For You

Choosing a college is tough stuff. Whether you’re a high schooler, or an undergrad looking out the far, foggy horizon of grad school., choosing a college that’s right for you is tough stuff. But, thankfully, not impossible.

And even more thankfully, if you’re a high schooler, it’s easier than you might think.

Here is where I’ll give you a four step formula to choosing the right college for you that’ll ensure a low-anxiety admissions process: examining your skill set, research, deciding on deal breakers, and making your final decision. As a teenager, it may already seem difficult to navigate just exactly what you want to be doing for the next couple of decades – a valid claim. But thankfully, self-analyzation comes first.

EXAMINING YOUR SKILL SET

This is the part where you take a step back and evaluate yourself. If you grew up with your parents telling you that you were the best at everything, then quite frankly, you’re already behind.

It’s easy to catch up, though. (First thing's first is to leave any and all ego at the door.) 

Heading straight away into college with a major isn’t a necessity; you’ll be stuck taking all your general requirements freshman year. After that, you’ll sort of need to have one. 

On one hand, figuring out what you really want to do in your first year seems like the most fool proof plan: classes in college tend to be more engaging and reminiscent of the real life situations of the particular field than anything you could find in a high school. Take a philosophy class, or a biblical studies class, or a class on old world piracy. 

On the other hand, letting yourself wander around aimlessly without a goal in mind, if not a major, isn't the best idea. Certain majors and programs have you working on specific requirements in your freshman year, which would set you behind in terms of credits. You'd be forcing yourself to work harder in the long run. And the key to college is working smart, not hard (don’t tell your parents that though).

So self-evaluate. What are you good at? What are you favorite subjects at school? What do your personal skills, however minuscule they might seem, and your interests within the realm of academia have in common? Are you more critical, or more creative? Can you speak well, or explain things well? Would you rather write a book or read it? Does math make your head hurt? Does reading Shakespearian literature? What are the coolest careers to you? What topics have you researched and uncomfortable amount about?

And while you’re at it, be as brutally honest as possible without beating yourself up. You may have a thousand weaknesses, but a single strength could take you places you could never imagine.

DECIDING ON (AND STICKING WITH) DEAL BREAKERS

Thinking back to my own personal college decision process, this was probably the hardest part because I did it after I researched and fell in love a few schools already. Deal breakers should be hashed out beforehand and be kept in the back of your head (or on paper) as a reference point while you research.

I don’t think this is a question we ask ourselves enough during the college process: when it comes to your education, what are you not willing to sacrifice?

Whether it’s communal bathrooms in the dorms, or a lack of sports enthusiasm, or the school being too far away from home, or the school having very little people of color – there’s probably at least two things about each of the schools you’re considering that you won’t be happy with. Make a little list for yourself. You just went through all that painful self-analyzation, right? What are your needs a student?

Mind you, the list shouldn’t have longer than five deal breakers. A perfect school isn’t a real thing for most people – and that’s perfectly okay. It's also perfectly okay to end up compromising on them.

You need to make a list, and a small list, of your absolute necessities in a school, and stick with it. It’ll be helpful when you’ve done all your research and start picking off potential places to learn.

For me, my absolute necessity was diversity. I grew up the only Somali and Muslim in my whole school, and I graduated that way. It was too emotionally and mentally tiring to not have people like me around, and the only way I was active in my local community was through school, so I wouldn't be making many friends outside of school. I turned down an acceptance second best university in my state for being a PWI (predominantly white institution) and I haven’t looked back.

So when you make those deal breakers, make sure you keep your specific realities in mind. Your background, your parents financial state, your personal shortcomings, and your personal needs. It matters because your experience with education matters.

RESEARCH

Alright, time to get online. And not on social media.

I’m watching you, punk.

Get to research. You can’t handle any situation without accurate information. This step has a few parts in itself, so I apologize for cheating (admittedly, it’s also the least straight forward). It’s important to research the schools you’re considering, the degrees you’re considering, and the careers you’re considering.

It doesn’t have to be a very structured research center either -  just grab a bowl of ice cream and start Googling stuff. Or, if you’re that painfully organized, grab the bowl of ice cream, a pen, and take some notes.

It’s important to do as much research as possible in whatever amount of time afforded to you when it comes to choosing a school. Some great questions to investigate online would be whether the institution makes changing majors (or double majoring) easy, what their retention rate is, how their graduates do in the job market after graduation, as well as it’s core strengths. There isn’t a single school that does everything at a hundred percent. It’s why there are dozen different Ivy League schools.

You wouldn’t pass over Columbia for Princeton when you’re going to be doing Religious Studies just because it’s Princeton. 

It’s important to match the right school to the right degree or program as well. This is especially important if you’re going to be going into any science or math field. For instance: if you’d like to be an engineer, what type of engineer would you like to be? Engineering has different degree programs that equip you with different skill sets. Would you like to work in a specific field? Do you want flexibility with your future career? What sorts of problems will you be able to solve by the time you leave school? It’s important to know just what exactly what you can do and which road you’ll go on with the piece of paper they’ll be handing you at the end of those four or five years.

It’s arguably the most important to match the right degree to the right school. You may not be exactly where you think you’ll be a decade from now, but you’re probably going to be somewhere near it. Even careers have pros and cons, and money can definitely be one of them for people who’ll have certain financial obligations in the future. I do urge you to not weigh money over passion, though.

How much will you possibly make?  Is the job pool saturated? Will there be a decline in positions over the next ten years? Could you go overseas with this degree? Could you switch fields with relative ease?

Also, for the record, research by word of mouth is important too. Talk to you high school teachers, family, friends, and even people within fields that interest you. You might get completely new perspectives than you thought you ever would.

MAKING YOUR FINAL DECISION

Well, finally. After months, or weeks, or days, or even several hours tapping the heck out of your keyboard, you’re equipped to make a decision. You’re well informed about who you are, what you can do, where you want to go, and what you’ll need wading through those post-secondary education waters. You may even have a couple of admissions papers laying around somewhere as you read this.

You’re ready to make an awesome decision.

So…pick one.

That’s about it at this point, honestly.

Now this is where the understandable amount of doubt kicks in. What if you really aren’t ready to make a decision about where you’re going? What if your second best option was really the best and you passed it up over something arguably nonsensical? What if you hate your major? Your school? What if you’re making all the wrong moves?

That’s the great thing about life: you very nearly always have options, especially when it comes to higher education. If you’ve got to switch majors, or even transfer, it’s possible. Taking the time to choosing wisely doesn’t mean that you’ll be stuck with that particular choice forever.

HINDSIGHT

No one said this was an easy process. And if they did, they’re either a pretentious liar or their life hasn’t gotten complicated enough yet. Complexity is necessary to existence (although you should save all that existential stuff for your inevitable foray into a Philosophy class).

This is tough stuff. Luckily, if you read all of this, you’re tough stuff too.

So get out there and get to work! You’ll be thanking your high school self in a few years on the line.

LIL BITY RESOURCES

The best website for dissecting careers and degrees: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search

Engineering Q&A from the Engineering Barbie herself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qABzig5giHs

About Student Loans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Lf4ETeiAQ&ab_channel=HowtoAdult

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Five Steps to Studying More Effectively

When the teacher announces that there is going to be a test on said day, your first reaction may be to freak out, then the girl next to you leans over and says “we need to form a study group” you agree and next thing you know, you are now in a study group. Congratulations.

Step 1: Who?

Now that you guys have decided that you want to have a study group, the next thing you want to think about is inviting classmates to come study with you guys. Now, instinctively, your first reaction may be to invite all your best friends in class, this may be your first mistake. When you’re around your friends, you may take longer to actually study and may get off track often. This doesn’t mean take your worst enemy to go study with, all I am saying is to pick the people that are going to provide the best contributions and the people that you are least likely to completely steer from the task at hand, studying.

Step 2: When and Where?

Now that you guys have decided who is going to be in your study group, the next step is to pick a time and a location. Take a quick second to look at everyone’s schedule and choose the time where everyone can meet up, if someone is still unable to come, suggest they use FaceTime to be there, or call during the studying session to be there through phone. Now that you have a time, the next step is to choose a location. When considering a location, you want to pick somewhere where there is minimal noise, so rule out the arcade or the concert as a studying location. Some common places to study are the coffee shop (for instance Starbucks) or your local library. Make sure the location is easy for everyone in the group to meet up to, we don’t want Sally showing up late because there was traffic on the I-95! If finding a location for everyone to meet up to is getting quite hard, considering moving it to a group chat such as Kik or maybe take it old school and do three-way calling session or a Skype.

Step 3: Show up

Now this step is the most difficult, this is when you actually carryout the plans. There is probably a huge wasteland somewhere out there full of plans never actually seen through. Make sure everyone knows the plans and that everyone who is supposed to be attending, attends.

Step 4: Roles

To make sure this studying session is carried out well, make sure to establish roles. The most important roles to give are the leader, who will steer the conversation and make sure every topic is addressed, the time keeper, who will track how long you stay on a topic and when to move on, and the peace keeper (fact checker), who will settle disputes by looking things up on the web or in the book. These roles ensure that everyone is on task and the meet up is going smoothly.

Step 5: Study

Don’t forget that the main purpose for the gathering is to study, to get rid of distractions, make sure all phones are put away and make sure everyone is listening and not off on their own conversation, as you want to make sure everyone knows the material, including the girl/guy who always seems lost (you know who I’m talking about). Try using apps such as Quizlet or Khan Academy to help study, take advantage to materials like the internet to expand your knowledge, just beware of getting off topic and losing focus on the real goal, which is to pass that test!

If you follow these easy 5 steps, I ensure you that you will be able to form a study group and study effectively. Next time, when your professor announces that test, be the person who announces that there will be a studying session on said day and said time. Be the leader and take charge.

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A Student's Review of the Google Chromebook

Whether you’re a college or high school student, a laptop or computer is an essential. With so many different types of laptops, computers, and now even tablets on the rise, I’d like to give some attention to the Chromebook. I am a Chromebook user at school and I own one as well. They are a more affordable alternative and effective as well! So all of you who are interested in purchasing a Chromebook or are looking for an affordable laptop, this list of pros and cons are for you!

Pro: Affordable

I purchased my Chromebook, an Acer Chromebook , for about $180. This low price is what really got me to buy it. I’m currently a junior in high school, and I was planning to purchase a well-equipped laptop before heading off to college in about two years. I wasn’t ready to spend a lot of money on a laptop I wouldn’t be using for a long time, so a Chromebook was an excellent option for me. My school also provides Chromebooks in class because they are so affordable. Most range from a price of $150-300. For anybody who has a low budget but needs something that can get the basics done, I highly recommend a Chromebook.

Con: Limited Abilities

In the case of Chromebooks, you get what you pay for. Chromebooks run on Google’s Chrome OS. This means that when you turn on the Chromebook, you can log in using any Google email address/account. Through this, you can easily access your Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Mail. In exchange, you can’t run programs like Microsoft Word or Open Office. This is a disadvantage that is manageable, but bothersome. For example, when I download some files off of my teacher’s websites, it downloads as a Microsoft Powerpoint document which I then have to convert to a Google Sheets file in order to open it. The Chromebook is also unable to download other programs like Spotify and Skype. I have to use Spotify through their in-browser web player, which gets the job done, but crashes frequently. As for Skype, I also use the in-browser beta version, and cannot use my webcam or see other people’s cameras. If you plan to use programs like Skype, Microsoft Office, and video editing software, Chromebooks are definitely not for you.

Pro: Portability

Not only are Chromebooks portable because they are lightweight laptops, but they are portable with being able to resume anything you were doing previously on a different device. You can log into your Google account on any other computer, whether it be a Chromebook or not, and have all your files accessible. I use this a lot when I want to add pictures from my phone to a document. I can simply go onto the Google Document on my phone and add the picture directly from my phone, and it’ll be ready for me to use in the document when I’m on my laptop. The whole Google OS system is very convenient for people who are always on the go.

Con: Printing

Ever since I’ve switched from a traditional laptop to a Chromebook, I’ve had to print all my pictures and documents using my phone. The printer I have, which is fairly new, is unable to connect to my Chromebook because it doesn’t offer Google Cloud Print services. This isn’t an issue for me, since I can print from my phone using an app. However, I imagine it would be a huge problem for college students who have to print in a library or the likes. Being able to print is a necessity, and the fact that Chromebooks have very limited printing options is a huge detriment. For those of you who have older printers or rely on library printing services, be sure to contemplate how important it is for you to print! This is something that definitely slipped my mind completely when I first bought my Chromebook.

Overall, a Chromebook is best suited for more casual computer users who have basic needs. I can definitely recommend the Chromebook to most high school students, but for college, I feel that the cons begin to outweigh the pros. But deciding on a laptop or computer is a big decision, so it’s best to consider all options and not out rule the Chromebook!

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