Looking for a bargain? Now is the time for your seniors, who are waiting to hear from their college choices, to start checking out scholarships. Though many colleges will provide various forms of financial aid, based on the Free Application for Student Federal Aid (FAFSA), you can still look for some potential scholarship aids. First have your child check in the college/career office for flyers on scholarship information. The guidance counselor may be able to direct him to some added resources. You should also check with your family’s employers to see what scholarship opportunities are available. Don’t forget to ask the directors/presidents of your various service organizations, places of worship, fraternities/sororities, or other organizations that you are involved with. Going online to websites such as Fastweb may also add to your list of possible scholarships. For help in navigating the college search process, contact me.
Your child may be a sophomore or freshman in high school. Is she thinking about college? Does she have a good concept of what “going to college” means? Has she even been on a college campus? Does she know the difference between an enclosed urban, open urban, suburban, or rural campus? Does she realize that campuses come in all sizes, from less than 1000 students to more than 35,000 students? Does she know the differences between a college and a university? Or a community college, a two-year college, and a four-year college? I could go on and on with the questions, but often I find that students, who come to me in their junior year, are on a steep learning curve when it comes to understanding colleges. Freshman and sophomore years are the best time to explore these concepts, because by junior year they need to start the process of searching for the “good fit,” making more serious campus visits, and starting the application process.
Now that the students and faculty are into their routine, it is time for your child to make sure he really knows his guidance counselor. Not just his name and where his office is located, but a give and take relationship with him. First he needs to find out how to make an appointment, to be sure the counselor is available. For some students it is hard to start a conversation or make a personal introduction. He may want to go in with a specific question about future classes or ways to prepare for college, to find out the different types of college entrance exams, to problem solve a situation, or to share a list of thoughts about post-secondary options. Remind him to use common courtesies such as a handshake, eye contact, and polite words. You may want to rehearse the meeting with him, so he feels more comfortable and empowered to do it on his own. After the first meeting, he should make a few more appointments throughout the year, to build the relationship.
Your child is packing his bags, gathering his electronic paraphernalia, meeting with friends who will be leaving soon, and driving you crazy with last minute requests. Just a few more things to add to your list: learn how to text, so you can communicate with your child; make sure you know his schedule, so you know when not to call; know his school email address, among all the other ones he has, to make sure he gets your messages; schedule a weekly time to call/text/email to make sure you touch base periodically; join Facebook, so you can stay in the loop with your child; know your child’s dorm room number, so you can send occasional goodie packages; and buy yourself some fun stationary, to send those rare, but special notes. You are saying goodbye, as he goes off to college, but you are prepared for the emotional moment, the vent session, the money plea, the help request, or a simple “I love you” message.
Does your child want to go to college? Do you want him to attend? Do you know other options to college, besides not going? Now is the time to start exploring all the options: community college for an associate’s degree or to complete the general education requirements, a four-year college, a technical school that offers an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, a technical school that offers certificate programs, full-time employment, part-time employment coupled with part-time classes, and many other combinations. You and your child should do your homework- find out all the possible opportunities, and their benefits or challenges.
Sometimes a student’s interest or passion translates into a college major. The hot summer is a good time to stay indoors and explore careers. If the student is working at a job, volunteering in the community, or doing an internship that relates to a special interest, he can ask questions of his employers or supervisors about the best ways to prepare for a similar career. In between working, volunteering, and playing, a student could explore websites that explain various careers. Check out the Directory of Occupational Titles, online at http://www.occupationalinfo.org for a list and description of various careers. Or look up the Occupational Outlook Handbook put out by the U.S. Department of Labor, at http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm for another list of vocational descriptors.
Summer is almost upon us. What is your high school student doing this summer? Has she thought about getting a job? Doing an internship, paid or unpaid? Finishing her service learning hours? Traveling? Whatever she is thinking about, consider time to explore some careers of interest. Instead of working at the pool, or in retail, think about finding a job that links to a future profession. Instead of just filling up hours for your school’s or state’s service learning requirements, consider working with or for someone in an interesting profession. Need some other ideas to explore careers? Read my May blog entitled “And When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a ….”
If your child is a junior or senior in high school, and takes medication for mental health problems, attention and focusing, or a chronic medical condition, he should be practicing doing this, independent from parental reminders. Transitions to independence are hard, but enabling a child to be dependent will only make it harder, if not impossible, in college. You may want to start by setting an alarm for each medication, or let your child set an alarm on his technology device. Start with the weekends, then work towards the weekend plus one school day, and work up to the entire week. Start now to help your child become an independent capable young adult, able to take care of his own needs.
Your son or daughter, who is a junior in high school, is watching the seniors as they anxiously wait to hear from their preferred colleges. This might be a good time for your child to start asking their friends who will be going off to college in the fall, about the schools they are applying to. Why did they apply to a particular school? What were the campuses like that they visited? Did they visit before or after their acceptance? What is their first choice and why? Some of your child’s friends may not be going to college, so your child may want to ask what they will do instead. If you have a child who is shy or does not have friends in the senior class, you can ask your friends of graduating seniors, the same questions, then share the answers with you child. This is a good time for your child to start thinking about the adventure of post-secondary education. There will be plenty of time to get serious about the choices, but for now, permit your child the excitement of all the possibilities.
The holidays are over and now we have to weather the cold temperatures, unwelcome precipitation (unless you’re hoping for a snow day), and shorter days, until spring. Bring some excitement to your life and do some traveling. What?! The kids are in school and your have to work! Well, you could go on a college tour? Many colleges have terrific websites with virtual tours, showing off the campus. Some also have interactive tours, with students who tell you “like it is”. Check them out. Are you interested in what the students on a particular campus think about the college? Some websites have student opinions about professors, the dining hall food, courses, dorms, social life on campus, and lots of other topics. Read the campus news to find out what’s happening on campus. How active are students, professors, and other staff at the college? How does each college connect to the local neighborhood or the global community? What speakers came to campus this year and who is coming this spring? What are the “hot” social events this year? When the buds reappear on the trees and the ice and snow finally melts, you’ll already have a list of colleges that you want to know more about. You can visit your guidance counselor with your list, prepared to continue the college search.