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collegeessayguy · 4 years ago

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Have the adults in your life been hassling you about making the most of high school in preparation for college? Maybe you’ve been nudged towards classes that will look good on your transcript or lovingly pushed in the direction of extracurriculars that lend themselves to impressive application essays?

If that sounds familiar, I want you to know: that’s not what this article is about.

There are so many things to do in high school but, in some cases, the preoccupation with using high school as a tool to get into college can make life miserable and activities unenjoyable.

But there is hope high school is about more than preparing for college. If you want to make good use of your high school years and prepare for college and have a good time, the tips below are for you.

1. PRACTICE GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL, SINCE IT’S LIKELY TO GET HARDER IN COLLEGE.

Using a calendar to track your day is an easy way to start managing your time a bit better. Some people prefer an old-school, pen-and-paper planner. Studies show that writing things down with your hand (rather than typing them onto a screen), makes you more likely to remember them.

But your paper planner can’t send reminders to your phone. If you prefer tech, you can’t go wrong with good ol’ Google calendar. (It’s what I use.) iCalendar is also great, or your parents might have a Cozi Calendar membership you can take advantage of.

Here’s what your calendar might look like:

Regardless of the type of calendar you use, here are a few basics of good time management:

Put tests, practices, events, meetings, appointments, project due dates, and days off into your calendar as soon as you find out about them—this could be as early as the first week of the semester when you get your syllabus. Once you know when something is due, decide how long it will take to do it. Work backwards and schedule time into your calendar to work on that project or study.

For example, if your science project is due on May 10th, you could allot one hour each day to work on it, May 1 - 9. Or maybe two hours every two days.

Make sure there’s space in your schedule for downtime and fun, too! If need be, block out time to see your friends or just binge that new Netflix show. That way, when someone asks you to help them study on Sunday afternoon, you can tell them you’re busy. Busy watching the new season of Game of Thrones, that is.

2. BALANCE YOUR STUDIES WITH LIFE

You know that colleges favor well-rounded applicants–people who volunteer and get good grades, test well and take part in their communities. But balancing your studies and life is about more than just creating a competitive college application.

Taking time away from your studies will invigorate you and activate different parts of your brain. Making art, playing soccer, or just going to a concert will recharge your mental batteries in a way that a 10-minute study break can’t. Participating in life outside of academics also boosts your creativity, increases your emotional intelligence, and helps you strengthen relationships.

And just as importantly–it’s fun.

Make time to get out of your books and into your life.

3. GET INVOLVED WITH ON-CAMPUS (AND OFF-CAMPUS!) ORGANIZATIONS.

Explore a few of your school’s organizations–try the debate club, Ultimate Frisbee, fencing, or student government. If your school doesn’t have any organizations that light your fire, try starting your own. Maybe lots of people would want to play Quidditch if you started a team?

If starting a school organization isn’t your style, explore the groups and organizations your community has to offer. Check out rec league sports, volunteer at the local animal shelter, or sing with your church’s choir.

Here are a few other ways to connect with people in your community:

Your local community center: You know that building in the park with all the flyers promoting rec league sports, town hall meetings, and litter pick ups? Poke your head in and see if there’s anything on the calendar that appeals to you. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbors.

Check out greatnonprofits.org to find a non-profit near you

Use the search feature at Idealist.org for even more.

Ask your counselor! There could be something coming up next week that you don’t even know about.

Connect with a local museum–many have teen programs and docent opportunities–or check with your local animal shelter, YMCA, temple, church, or synagogue.

Maybe even go back to your middle or elementary school and see how you can help.

4. GET TO KNOW YOUR TEACHERS

Fun fact: your teachers are real, actual humans who have senses of humor, hobbies, and interests outside of getting you to turn in your homework on time. Shocking, right?

One of the easiest ways to make the most of high school is to talk to your teachers and get to know them.

These conversations will give you deeper insights into the topics you’re studying and–bonus!– will probably (read: definitely) make it easier to get great teacher recommendations for your college applications.

5. TAKE CLASSES YOU LOVE, NOT NECESSARILY THE CLASSES YOU THINK WILL PLEASE YOUR PARENTS/GET YOU A GOOD JOB/MAKE YOU MONEY.

When you’re applying to competitive universities, it’s tempting to stuff your schedule with ‘impressive’ courses you think will look good on applications. AP Calc BC! AP Physics! AP Japanese! If you truly want to take AP Calc or feel it will help with your dream of becoming a civil engineer, take AP Calc. But when you stack your schedule with classes you don’t really like and then use those classes as the basis of your college application, you’re setting yourself up for a pretty miserable academic experience.

6. PRIORITIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND LEARN HOW BEST TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

Real talk: college can be incredibly stressful. You’re juggling a challenging course load, applying for internships, working part time–all while living far from home with roommates you might not have chosen for yourself. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right?

Use your slightly-less-stressful high school years to build good self-care habits. What does this look like? Well, it looks different for everyone, but these basics are a good start:

Get eight hours of sleep

Exercise 20 minutes each day

Drink enough (about half a gallon) of water per day

Limit social media use (and all the self-doubt that comes with it) by setting social media locks that shut you out after you’ve exceeded a certain time limit

Bonus Tip (if you have an iPhone): here’s how to make it work for you and not against you (one of my favorite productivity articles ever, btw)

Spending time with friends doing something other than studying or talking about college applications

Your high school experience doesn’t have to be a test run for college, filled only with test prep and ‘impressive’ classes. If you follow these tips, you can totally prepare for college while still enjoying high school.

#student life #high school #studyblr #study tips #college prep #education

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prorevenge · 6 years ago

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Nepotism: Marked for deletion.

TLDR At the end.

My school had a tradition, and I'm not sure if it's odd or not. But, each year we had kind of a mini-valedictorian award, starting in middle school. I was in the gifted program, so several of us had 4.0's, so the award was given to whoever had the highest overall GPA on the 100 point scale. I have always been very competitive by nature, so I set my sights on winning this award in the 7th grade. However, there was a bit of competition: let's call him Todd. Todd had really good grades as well, with the top spot usually bouncing back and forth between the two of us. It was so close that every single quiz, exam, and homework assignment had the potential to dethrone one of us while lifting the other. I had an average of 98.something, as did he.

Todd had a bit of an edge, however. See, Todd's mom was known for being a bully. She would yell, scream, berate, and openly mock any teacher who dared to give Todd a lower grade than me. But that isn't all: Todd's mom was also a teacher at our school. She would openly defy and berate her own colleagues, should they not provide whatever grade she wanted for Todd. Now, usually the school would avoid giving a child a class with their mother, but sometimes this was unavoidable. Naturally, we ended up in a class with his mother as the teacher.

This was a world history class, one which required several papers, tests, etc. By the end of the year, Todd and I had been neck and neck in this class. But, I noticed something: I consistently outperformed Todd (by several points) on any objective learning assessments (fill in the blank tests, multiple choice, etc.) However, somehow Todd consistently outperformed me on written/subjective learning assessments (papers, essays, etc.) Being a young and ignorant kid, I just assumed he was better at writing. That is, until our final assignment rolled around.

All our tests had been taken, all our quizzes and homework assignments graded, all our papers submitted and graded, the semester was functionally complete. I held a fraction of a point over Todd in the class, which put me overall ahead in the valedictorian race. But, mommy dearest couldn't have that. So, with three days left of the year, she assigned a list minute 2 page paper. Short, and simple. I submitted mine, and received a 95. Fair enough. I found out that Todd got a 100, just enough to put him ahead of me in the class, and in the valedictorian race. I was frustrated, so I asked Todd to see his paper repeatedly, desperate to find ways to improve to better my chances the next year. He refused, again and again. Then I remembered: when his mom handed the papers back to us, she never gave one to Todd. He hadn't done the paper, it was purely an assignment contrived to put him ahead.

Now comes the revenge: our school had just transferred to a paperless gradebook system the year before, so this was the second year on it. The principal was determined to make this cost efficient, so after the first trial year he didn't even bother restocking the teachers with physical grade books. That way, he could add the amount saved from physical books to the total amount that the new paperless system was saving the school.

Now, during this time I also worked. I had a family member who owned a small local ISP, and I would help out at every opportunity. I loved computers, and still do. Now, working with this family member equipped me with much more networking knowledge than other kids my age, and even most adults. I decided that with this power came great responsibility: I was going to right this grievous injustice.

So, I started digging. I got on a school PC and started going through the network. Turns out, the school had wanted to save as much money as possible while going paperless. So, they didn't hire a professional technician, consultant, or anything. One of the dads just volunteered, in exchanged for a reduced tuition charge (private school.) So, this system was just a nightmare. There was no dedicated network for sharing grades, there was no password protection on any files, there were no administrative restrictions on any files, nothing. What he did was just "share" a single directory on the headmaster's computer. That directory held the entire gradebook for each and every class of each and every grade: kindergarten through 12th grade. I thought this was too good to be true, surely there was a back up somewhere. So, I went to the school's port switcher, which was just in an unlocked closet. I checked around, expecting to see a server, or a set of drives set to automatically back up whatever is shared on the network. Nada.

Now, I was in a rage. I had gone to the principal several times, pointing out that Todd's mom was abusing her position, she was bullying teachers to give her kid an edge. Her son would even brag about how he could get away with not doing homework in other classes, because mommy would make sure nothing came of it. But, the principal had failed to act. He had declared that each teacher was sovereign in their classrooms, so long as nothing illegal happened he would not intervene. He was a very unprincipled principal. So, I made a decision: to delete the nepotism. I couldn't just change my grades in her class, she monitored my average like a hawk. So, I went nuclear. I went into that subdirectory, and deleted every single file in it. But, the principal had shared his whole users/desktop directory. So, I emptied the recycling. I completely wiped every trace of grading software on that computer, because the idiot didn't even put a password on the computer. So, from the desktop subdirectory I was able to access everything. This was in the very last couple of days of school. There were no hard copies (gradebooks), there were no backups, there was nothing remaining to even prove that the school year ever occurred.

On the final day of school, we get called into an assembly. The principal is visibly disheveled, shaken, and upset. Not even angry, just broken. He announced that the entire year of grades were totally lost. The school didn't know what to do, because there were no hard copies. They couldn't recover the data, because they cheaped out and didn't purchase a backup system. All they could do was reinstall the software. But, on grading software if there is no grade to input, then what does it default to when showing the grades of the students? A 100%. Every single student in that school got valedictorian of their class that year: 100% all around. Heck, even a few kids got enough of a boost from that final year that they got to graduate on time instead of being held back.

Next year, we had a new principal. I was held slightly suspect since everyone knew of my tech background, but nobody could prove anything. Even the PC's in the computer lab didn't have usernames or passwords, so there was no way to link me to anything. That following year, security cameras and passwords were put in the computer lab.

TLDR: Teacher displayed nepotism to get her son ahead, sacrificing me. I rebel, delete the entire grade system, get everyone 100's. You're welcome seniors of 2006, I hope you all enjoyed a nice little boost to your transcripts.

(source) (story by farmathekarma)

#prorevenge #by farmathekarma #pro revenge #revenge stories #pro revenge stories #pro #revenge #revenge story #last10

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aquarianlights · 5 years ago

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Happy Personal Update Time!!

I know I promised to do this forever ago, but things got busy. So here I am!

Most of you know this is my personal blog, but it has become a lot less personal since pursing medical education. I’m still here, though, and I still love coming here to read all the asks I get and interact with all my followers and all that good stuff. What I really miss is being able to post text posts. They have always been my way of venting and letting go of inward pain, anger, frustration, etc... Text posts/ranting have always been super cathartic for me. But my life is great now and I’m happy to just jump back in to give a long overdue update every once in a while because I miss doing it and I know I still have longtime followers somewhere in that list of people. Haha. Exciting stuff is happening, though!! And I’m very excited to share it, as well.

SO.............this is gonna be long because THERE’S GREAT STUFF HAPPENING!! :D AND I WANT TO SHARE IT ALL!! I hope someone will read this coz man oh man have I come a long fucking way from the whiny little drug addicted suicidal little boy I used to be. Haha. :)

This fall semester is going to be just lovely. I’m going to have the opportunity to work with one of the clubs I’m joining to teach high schoolers how to properly do dissections. I’ll be taught how to properly clean equipment like microscopes and auger plates and such. And I’ll be working alongside a couple of my professors and other club members to mentor high schoolers in some cool biology stuff. :)

The other night, I finally got official international membership with Phi Theta Kappa and also got international membership with the Omega Nu Chapter. I’ll be receiving all that good proof stuff soon like certificates and such, but the reason I’m primarily excited about that is because that opens me up to a TON of scholarship opportunities. Both of those societies give out a fuckton of money every year for academic achievement and with me transferring schools, I’m hoping to be lucky enough to snag some of that.

One of my professors recommended me for a student council officer position and I found out recently that he spoke with another professor in the same department that had me as a student and she got on board with that, but I’m not entirely sure I want to go that route because while I was writing up my essay to submit to the current SGA explaining why they should choose me for one of the officer positions, I really didn’t feel all that passionate at all about it, so I’d much rather someone with a passion for the position have it, but it made me feel good that my professors have that kind of faith in me. I’m still debating on it, though.

Another professor of mine submitted my name for an internship position with a student partnership that eventually leads you to an invite-only online community where you can be set up with more internship opportunities and helps to make connections in your field and all sorts of stuff. The internship has a $200 stipend for the first semester that you do it and a $250 stipend for every following semester that you do it.

I was going to try it out with her this summer semester, but I had *NO* idea there was so much involved. By the time I had completed my 10 hours of training, I was in shock by the amount of work I was going to need to do to prepare for the role so I’ll actually be taking it on for the first time during Fall semester instead of summer, which is annoying because part of this internship requires you to make a short presentation in every one of the classes that the professor has that term for the students their class (and any other professor in the department who uses the software who may need you), record said lecture and put it up on canvas with the professor for anyone who missed the 1st day of class and for any online classes, be open for any questions after the presentation from both the students and the professor, hold at least 2 hours worth of office hours during the first week, and a *TON* of other stuff that happens prior to the semester before this and after this throughout the semester that would take forever to list. This is annoying that I am having to start in the fall because summer semester has less than HALF the students that fall has. There’s barely anyone there in the summer at all and summer classes are usually very laid back. The teachers are so chill in the summer and usually don’t care much, whereas the Fall semester is serious business and there are TONS of incoming freshman all confused about where they are going and everyone is lost and in a hurry and nervous and it is just total chaos literally everywhere on any campus you go to. So we really wanted to test this out during summer, but there’s just no way. The amount of representatives I have to meet and sit down with and hash out certain details with prior to even making this presentation is going to take me at least a couple weeks and summer semester starts next week. Lol. I only had like 3 weeks from the time my professor submitted my name. Was not nearly enough time.

It’s a very overwhelming internship and the work is... daunting. I mean, it is going to be a *LOT* of work and it is something I have never done before and it will be a style of leadership that I have never had placed on my shoulders before, but everyone has to take that first step at some point in their life. I hope I can do it. I’m going to try... I won’t say I’m not nervous about standing in front of a lecture hall full of students... but I’m probably not as nervous as some would be. I used to hold rally’s in my town square when I was younger to inform the public on the dangers of puppy mills, so I’m quite comfortable with public speaking, but I will say that it has been a good minute since I have done it and I have never stood up in front of a lecture room full of college students who are the same as I am and tried to pretend to know exactly what I’m doing. That’s a little scary to me. Ngl. Lol.

I’m going to be taking American Sign Language as a fluff class to boost my GPA, so I’m really excited about that because I’ve been wanting to learn it really badly. Just wanted to throw that in there haha. :)

That’s about it for the really BIG things for Fall Semester right now, not including like... the normal hard classes, graduating and switching uni’s soon and stuff. Which I’m super excited about!!

BUT!!...This summer is gonna be lit as well!

I got a volunteer position that I’m going to be in orientation for sometime soon (I think next week is what she said) where I’m going to a local shelter and all I’m doing all day is walking dogs, socializing dogs (basically playing with them and getting them comfortable around humans and other dogs so they’re more adoptable), bathing dogs, and basic training (sit, stay, etc...). It is basically my DREAM volunteer position!!

I just remembered reading an article at one point that said “most people don’t know that shelters really need people to just walk the dogs because regular volunteers usually don’t have the time”. And I remembered volunteering at the Humane Society when I was more able bodied than I am now and that was not something I could do now. It was much too physically taxing. Cleaning kennels, washing over 100 dog bowls in a massive sink that I had to stand on a stool to reach, washing tons of worn out dog blankets and toys, carrying heavy loads of laundry, carrying heavy water dishes out to the play yard, filling up buckets and carrying them, scrubbing the floors with a scrubber thing, etc etc etc... like, I could barely do it as able bodied as I was then. There was no slowing down because you had to rotate the dogs out and you only had a certain amount of time to clean the few bowls and toys/beds/towels we had and only a certain amount of time to power wash/spray down the kennels they were in. It was very very fast paced work and one large break in the middle of the day and I had to leave early and I know I could not do that now. Not in a million years.

Dog walking is something I can do with any size dog. Dog washing is still something I can do and something I have done professionally many times in the grooming industry. Dog socializing is wonderfully cathartic for me AND them. And I’m quite good with basic training, despite what it may seem with Echo...lmao (he just hasn’t been around consistency, which is a huge problem).

So I’m very very excited to get through my orientation and get started on this volunteer position! They were so kind and said that my physical disabilities would be no problem and they could work with me on my pace. I’m really looking forward to this and I’m hoping I can maybe fit it into my schedule when school starts up, even if I have to cut it down to just a couple hours, one day a week.

AND THEN........

In my PERSONAL life...

I’ve made a really cool circle of friends who isn’t intertwined with one of the most toxic people in my life that I really love and will most likely keep in my life forever because I truly believe they can unlearn the toxic behaviour and they’re one of my platonic soul mates. So I now have this really awesome circle of friends that I’m experiencing and learning all these new things about myself and about New Orleans and I keep getting closer with them.

((I may or may not post a rant I wrote up about that, coz it’s painful to talk about. And this is a happy post so it doesn’t go here!!))

I’m learning how to cook through one of those friends. I don’t have enough money to throw at a Hello Fresh subscription, but one of my next door neighbours in my apartment complex has turned into my really good friend and she has a Hello Fresh bi-weekly subscription and it usually is a 2-serving dish and we both live alone and we are both learning to cook for the first time, so we are doing it together. :D She invites me over to her apartment whenever she’s cooking and we’ll just muddle through learning how to cook together. It’s going to be a lot of fun honestly because I have SOOOOO much to learn!! :) Recently got a NutriBullet so I can make protein shakes, but I need to look at recipe’s coz mixing protein powder with just milk or water is awful. Ugh.

I’ve made up my own 30 day challenge for exercising and basically just becoming more healthy and getting my heart and muscles in better shape. June has 30 days so I figured what better way to do a 30 day challenge than on a month that has 30 days lol. Easy to keep track of, right? I made myself a chart and put it on my fridge and everything. Going to keep a log. I’m very excited to see the difference between day 1 and day 30. Going to take pictures for comparison. Idk if 30 days will make that big of a difference, honestly but... we’ll see??? Lol.

I guess this should go up in the school section, but I’m also working on quite a few scholarship entries so we’ll see how that goes!! I had NO idea so many easy essay scholarships were out there!! Keeping it to 1k words is the hard part. :( Eeeeeeeeeeep!!

Been studying for the MCAT’s and tryna find a medical math tutor. It’s gonna be hard, but... we’ll see. Hopefully the MCAT prep classes will help.

I’m in love with deep cleaning and organizing and my neighbour is gonna pay me to clean her apartment and then I’m going over to her mother’s house that she’s renting out (her mother passed away recently and she couldn’t handle staying in the house anymore) to help her Marie Kondo the place. We’re just gonna kind of... go at her own pace, slowly thank everything for doing its job, and get rid of everything that we can and deep clean everything while we are doing it. Probably just take it a day or a week at a time. I’ll be there with her to support her through the process...like if she needs to cry on someone when she sees a certain item or something. I’m excited to help with her journey to recovery and I’m so honoured to be given the chance to be someone’s rock. I love the bond me and my neighbour are developing. I just feel so honoured.

I’m going up to my parents house, then up to Virginia, then hopefully MA towards the end of the summer. Looking forward to the trip quite a bit. :)

HONESTLY...

I’m just so freakin’ excited. My life is going so wonderfully. Everything is so great. My apartment is wonderful, my relationship with my mom is on the mend because of how well in school I’m doing (you all know that’s all she cares about lol), I have wonderful friends and a great support group, my therapist and I click really well, I’m making opportunities happen and having opportunities open up to me in return, I’m meeting new people and seeing new things, I’m feeling physically healthier than ever (even though my chronic pain is worse than ever), I almost always wake up in a good mood, I’ve been getting a good amount of sleep almost every single night, school is good, connections in the professional world are growing...

The ONLY thing holding me back right now is money. I’m pretty much living paycheck to paycheck and it is killing me. The amount of things I *WANT* to do but don’t have the money for is just killing me. I’ve been wanting to take dance lessons, but I don’t have the money. Been wanting to sign up to a yoga studio and FINALLY found one IN MY AREA(!!) that had instructors trained in dealing with people with ehlers danlos syndrome (which is crazy coz lots of yoga instructors turn me away when they hear I have ehlers danlos type 3), but I can’t afford it.

I can barely pay my rent. :| I’m lucky I have EBT, otherwise I literally would not have had any food over the past 2 months. I would have had to choose between having a roof over my head or having food, so thank FUCK I have EBT coz I have a full cabinet and fridge right now. Fucking bless. Lololol.

I’m just so content. There’s a lot of stuff going wrong here and there and a lot of stuff stressing me out, but OVERALL... I couldn’t be happier.

Things have really taken a turn in my life and I have been waiting for them to all come crashing down for 2 years now and they still haven’t and that’s amazing to me.

And there’s my update lol. Hope you enjoyed the Killian Chronicles. 😂 😂 😂 Love and missed you all! 😘

((PS: This has not been proofread and most likely never will be. Free-flow-thought writing is my specialty lol.))

#personal #me.txt

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overeducated · 7 years ago

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Killing It As a STEM Student

As a recent biology/forensics grad, I look back on my undergraduate experiences and there’s a lot of things I’m glad I did and a few I regret not doing. For other students still in or about to begin their undergrad careers, here’s some things you can check out that are hella good for your resume, professional development, and scientific knowledge. And some Parks and Rec gifs, too, because they’re good for the soul.

1. Clubs

No, not those kinds of clubs. I’m talking about student groups on campus. Clubs can be great for any of your interests, from art to community service, but some clubs will also do wonders for your education and career. These are major- and career/specific groups like chemistry club, biology club, and pre-med club. The people you meet and connections you make with other students and professors involved in these clubs can be invaluable. There are also honor societies, some GPA-based and some major-based, that are great to get into for professional connections and for bragging rights. Developing and showcasing your leadership and writing skills is also always a great idea, so school newspapers and class office positions are more options for polishing up your talents and your resume. If you want a group that your school doesn’t have, look into establishing it yourself! It’s typically a fairly simple process, and you also then get to highlight that you’re the founder of a great campus group!

2. Outreach & Community Events

Some of these groups may get you involved in STEM-related events, but you can also get involved on your own as well. If your school has a science outreach club/program, join it! Please! I cannot stress enough how good it looks on your resume to grad schools and employers alike, and how good you’ll feel spreading what you know and sharing your knowledge in the best way. No program at your school? Establish one. Don’t want to go to all the trouble? Get involved in community events and outreach on your own or with some buddies! There are a wide variety of events that these may come in the form of, from educational pub crawls to large annual marches like the March for Science, whose website also has plenty of resources for planning and finding outreach events.

3. Mentors

Mentors can be HUGE influences on how your undergraduate experience and subsequent life turn out. They can be your assigned college advisers or just professors that you grow close to and come to love. Regardless of how they become your mentor, they can open many doors for you. They could hire you as a teaching assistant for their courses, they can write you killer letters of recommendation, they can introduce you to other professionals in the field, they can hook you up with internship and job opportunities, and do a million other things that you will never be able to thank them enough for. I really cannot emphasize the incredible impact that having a good mentor can make for your education, career, and life. Not to mention that you often become good friends with them along the way.

4. Grades

Unfortunately, as much as these other things can give you a boost, you do still need to maintain a strong GPA. That being said, a perfect 4.0 is great, but grades will also not make or break your future on their own, so please don’t make yourself crazy over them. A good, realistic goal GPA range is usually 3.2 - 3.7. This range keeps you from falling too low on the scale without the pressure of constantly trying to reach and maintain a perfect average, which can drive students up the wall. If you do better, that’s stellar! Good for you! If you do a little worse, it’s not the end of the world, and you can regroup for the next semester and go back to trying to reach your realistic target range, or adjust your target to be a little higher to compensate. And remember, if you’re struggling, use your resources! Tutors, office hours, and Chegg are your friends. There is no shame in needing help, trying to catch up after falling behind, or having a lot of questions. There is, however, a lot of shame in knowing you could have done much better if only you had actually used all of the resources at your disposal.

5. Lectures

Of course there are your normal course lectures, and those are important, but there are usually occasional guest lecturers and speakers as well. Go to these talks! Whether it’s directly relevant to your interests or not, you will still be expanding your scientific knowledge and if you speak to the guest lecturer after the fact, you can make more valuable connections and work towards making a good name for yourself in the scientific community (trust me, there’s a lot of STEM people talking about other STEM people).

6. Conferences & Symposiums

Conferences are incredible, wonderful places where dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of scientists gather all in one place to share their work and make connections. This makes them ideal places for you, as a student, to be. If you have original research experience under your belt, such as work done through an internship or senior research project, presenting at a conference is a gigantic advantage for you. You get to share your hard work and findings, meet other people in the STEM community, and add to your CV that you’ve presented your work in a professional setting. These are all fantastic bonuses that you should 100% take advantage of. Even if you don’t have work of your own to present, just going to network can still help build your list of contacts in your industry and if you’re actually passionate about the field (which I hope you are if you’re majoring in it), it’s extremely mentally stimulating. People have met future employers, graduate school recruiters, and sources of funding at conferences and symposiums across the globe, and you never know who you’ll meet there. Additionally, some schools and departments have specific money set aside in their budgets for sending students and faculty to conferences. Check with your mentor or adviser to see if you can take advantage of such a perk! There are also some grants intended to provide for students who want to attend conferences, which can be alternative sources of funding for any expenses. Here are some resources for finding upcoming conferences in your field: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

7. Jobs & Internships

When it comes right down to it, hands-on experience is a nearly unbeatable ally to have in your corner. Whether it’s an internship, being a teaching assistant, cleaning and setting up glassware for classes, tutoring, or research experience, any relevant experience instantly gives you, and your resume, a huge increase. Talk to members of your department, your school’s career center, check job boards, and take advantage of LinkedIn. And remember that anything is better than nothing. Bonus points if you know (or think you know) where you want to work or go to grad school after finishing undergrad and can nail down a spot there to get your foot in the door early. And speaking of early, it is literally NEVER too early to start. Whether you’re in your last semester of undergrad or a freshman in high school, experiences are experiences, and connections are connections. A longer work/internship history typically makes you look more knowledgeable and reliable to schools and employers, and it can provide you with more professional references that can attest to your skills and competency. If you can’t find anything relevant to your field, though, don’t sweat it. Even if you get stuck working as a cashier for a summer instead of getting a cool research internship, you’re still showing that you can hold a job and you’ll be racking up some money, too. Also, if you can’t find a job or internship that’s relevant to your field, see if you can find a lab or employer that will let you volunteer there for experience. Every little bit helps!

So...

Hopefully this helps you navigate the scientific waters a little more smoothly, and provides some guidance on the things you can be doing to improve yourself and your future in between study sessions. Good luck and reach out to me if you have any questions!

- Lindsey

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eliteprepsat · 4 years ago

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Have you been wearing your mom’s USC sweatshirt since you were a little girl? Been cheering “Roll Tide!” and dreaming of studying in the SEC for years? Or always imagined yourself rubbing shoulders with the other Ivy Leaguers at Dartmouth or Yale? Many of us grow up with our sights set on attending a particular “dream” school. And when the day draws closer, it comes time to turn those hopes into practical strategies for receiving that coveted letter of acceptance. To help you, here are 12 tips for how to get into your dream college.

1. FOCUS ON ACADEMICS

It’s no secret that good grades and high test scores are of utmost importance when trying to win over college admissions committees. To help with this, take Advanced Placement (AP) courses in your strongest subjects. The benefits of AP courses are far-reaching. They introduce you to college-level work, boost your GPA, and (at some schools) even count toward college credit. If there is a subject area that you struggle with, seek a tutor. Finally, find a local program or school that offers SAT and ACT courses designed to help you prepare for these tests.

2. KNOW WHO YOU ARE

Grades aren’t the only thing that colleges care about when considering your application, however. Schools want to know that you are a unique individual who is more than just her GPA or SAT score. When preparing your application, it is important that you paint a picture for the admissions committee of this authentic self. Remember that colleges want talented musicians for their marching bands, awe-inspiring athletes for their sports teams, and forward-thinking minds for their science labs. And they want to advertise to the rest of the world the many accolades of the students in whom they are investing. So, in your application, be sure to explain how you will benefit your dream school just as must as how your dream school will benefit you.

3. GET INVOLVED

One of the best ways to show that you are a unique individual (and not just a number) is by getting involved in extracurricular activities. These can be any number of activities either inside or outside of school. Why do colleges care about extracurricular activities? Your involvement in extracurriculars demonstrates that, beyond your intelligence, you are curious, motivated, responsible, and well-rounded. Colleges also want students who will contribute to the life of the university beyond the classroom. And knowing about your extracurricular activities before college will help admissions committees envision how you will help contribute to the broader campus life during college—from joining clubs and helping plan events to starting new volunteer organizations. In all, by showcasing the activities that you have been involved with in the past, you prove to your dream college that you have walked the walk and are not just talking the talk.

4. PRACTICE YOUR CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS

When writing your college admissions essays, don’t just draft an “information dump” that lists out your many achievements. Rather, craft a narrative that hooks your reader and pulls them in to the story of your life. Ask yourself: Why am I a compelling character? What has been the most intriguing part of my life so far? And why is my dream school the best next step in my life story? This, ultimately, is what you are trying to convince your reader of in your admissions essays. The task will be far easier if you have practice reading, writing, and thinking about stories.

5. STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

In an increasingly visual and digital age, we often find that formats outside of the written word better represent us. With this understanding in mind, many colleges have moved to accepting college essays in alternative formats to the traditional essay—such as video or audio documents. Sometimes these are accepted as supplemental application materials, while other times they are accepted in place of a written essay altogether. If it sounds like working within one of these mediums might be more your speed, check to see if your dream school accepts these forms of college essays. And then get to work! This kind of creativity can really help an application rise to the top of the stack.

6. EMBRACE YOUR ORIGIN STORY

Colleges want a student body that represents as much of the globe as possible. So, if your dream school is far from home, be sure to mention in your application how your unique cultural background and experiences can contribute to the richness and diversity of their institution. Colleges are also working to increase access to first-generation and low-income students. So, if you fit either of these categories, be sure to demonstrate your determination and grit by explaining your many achievements in spite of these challenges. Remember, too, the many scholarships that exist, including those for first-generation and low-income students. To get an idea of some of these opportunities, check out this directory from scholarships.com.

7. APPLY EARLY

Another simple—yet effective—way to stand out from the crowd is to apply early to your dream school. According to a 2018 study by U.S. News and World Report, some U.S. colleges receive as many as 84,068 applications. With so many applications piling in every fall season, it’s smart to make an early impression. For more information on early application (which usually happens in early November), check out this post from the College Board.

8. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK

Make connections with teachers and other mentors from different walks of your life, such as clubs and religious organizations. College applications often require letters of recommendation. You can ask adults with whom you’ve developed meaningful relationships over the years to speak to your best qualities in such letters. When asking for a letter of recommendation, it’s always best to ask your letter writers early so that they have plenty of time to complete their letters, to give them a copy of your resume as a reference, and to ask at least more than one individual than required as a backup in case someone doesn’t get their letter in on time.

9. SHOW YOU CARE

Demonstrate genuine interest in your dream school by planning a campus visit, a campus tour, or even arranging an interview with someone from the admissions staff. While on campus, ask to be put in touch with current students and alumni to discuss their experiences. Make additional contacts with professors in your expected major. During these communications, share your knowledge of the school—a bit of its history, their sports teams and mascot, etc. This is your dream school after all, right?

10. GO TO COLLEGE BEFORE COLLEGE

See if your dream school offers any “bridge” programs that you might be interested in. These are programs that offer high school students the opportunity to study—and often to live—for a brief time on a college campus. They are a fun way to delve deeply into your favorite subjects alongside other students who care about the same things that you do, and they are often taught by top scholars in their respective fields. A few examples of such programs are The Writers Village program at Sarah Lawrence College (for creative writers) and the Research in Science & Engineering (RISE) program at Boston University. Having attended such a program at your dream school as a high school student will really show the admissions committee your interest and commitment to their institution.

11. DIVERSIFY YOUR DREAMS

Instead of setting your sights on just one “dream” school, shift your perspective so as to consider a trio or handful of “dream” schools. With so many wonderful schools out there, is any one of them truly perfect? While one college may be on the top of your list because of its stunning architecture and proximity to the city, another may be on the top of your list because of its top-tier study abroad program. The point is that every school has its unique strengths. And let’s face it: college admissions are competitive. So, if you open your mind to viewing a number of schools as “dream” schools, you might be less disappointed if you do happen to receive a rejection or two, and even more excited when those acceptances come in.

12. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Speaking of the competitive nature of college admissions, it’s an important reminder to stay positive and believe in yourself throughout the application process. Eric Hoover of The New York Times reminds us of the many factors admissions committees must consider when weighing applications and urges us to not get overly upset if we do receive a rejection. He writes, “When colleges choose applicants, they’re juggling competing goals, like increasing diversity and bringing in more revenue. Admissions officers aren’t looking for students who fit just one description— say, those who’ve earned all A’s or won the most awards. So don’t take rejection personally.” Ultimately, since you can’t know all the factors that will go into your dream school’s decision to accept your application, it benefits you to stay calm, believe in yourself, and simply do your best.

Stacy G. is a writer and teacher who has taught composition, literature, and creative writing courses at a number of public and private universities across the U.S. She has also taught SAT, AP English, and Literature SAT Subject Test courses at Elite Prep. She likes poetry, dogs, and poetry about dogs.

#college prep #college admissions #studyblr #high school #college

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collegeessayguy · 4 years ago

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If that sounds familiar, I want you to know: that’s not what this article is about.

There are so many things to do in high school but, in some cases, the preoccupation with using high school as a tool to get into college can make life miserable and activities unenjoyable.

SIX WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF HIGH SCHOOL AND STILL HAVE FUN

1. PRACTICE GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL, SINCE IT’S LIKELY TO GET HARDER IN COLLEGE.

Here’s what your calendar might look like:

Regardless of the type of calendar you use, here are a few basics of good time management:

Put tests, practices, events, meetings, appointments, project due dates, and days off into your calendar

as soon as you find out about them

--this could be as early as the first week of the semester when you get your syllabus. Once you know when something is due, decide how long it will take to do it. Work backwards and schedule time into your calendar to work on that project or study.

For example, if your science project is due on May 10th, you could allot one hour each day to work on it, May 1 - 9. Or maybe two hours every two days.

2. BALANCE YOUR STUDIES WITH LIFE

And just as importantly--it’s fun.

Make time to get out of your books and into your life.

3. GET INVOLVED WITH ON-CAMPUS (AND OFF-CAMPUS!) ORGANIZATIONS.

Explore a few of your school’s organizations--try the debate club, Ultimate Frisbee, fencing, or student government. If your school doesn’t have any organizations that light your fire, try starting your own. Maybe lots of people would want to play Quidditch if you started a team?

Here are a few other ways to connect with people in your community:

Check out greatnonprofits.org to find a non-profit near you

Use the search feature at Idealist.org for even more.

Ask your counselor! There could be something coming up next week that you don’t even know about.

Connect with a local museum--many have teen programs and docent opportunities--or check with your local animal shelter, YMCA, temple, church, or synagogue.

Maybe even go back to your middle or elementary school and see how you can help.

4. GET TO KNOW YOUR TEACHERS

Fun fact: your teachers are real, actual humans who have senses of humor, hobbies, and interests outside of getting you to turn in your homework on time. Shocking, right?

One of the easiest ways to make the most of high school is to talk to your teachers and get to know them.

These conversations will give you deeper insights into the topics you’re studying and--bonus!-- will probably (read: definitely) make it easier to get great teacher recommendations for your college applications.

5. TAKE CLASSES YOU LOVE, NOT NECESSARILY THE CLASSES YOU THINK WILL PLEASE YOUR PARENTS/GET YOU A GOOD JOB/MAKE YOU MONEY.

6. PRIORITIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND LEARN HOW BEST TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

Use your slightly-less-stressful high school years to build good self-care habits. What does this look like? Well, it looks different for everyone, but these basics are a good start:

Get eight hours of sleep

Exercise 20 minutes each day

Drink enough (about half a gallon) of water per day

Limit social media use (and all the self-doubt that comes with it) by setting social media locks that shut you out after you’ve exceeded a certain time limit

Bonus Tip (if you have an iPhone): here’s how to make it work for you and not against you (one of my favorite productivity articles ever, btw)

Spending time with friends doing something other than studying or talking about college applications

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eliteprepsat · 4 years ago

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1. FOCUS ON ACADEMICS

2. KNOW WHO YOU ARE

3. GET INVOLVED

4. PRACTICE YOUR CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS

5. STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

6. EMBRACE YOUR ORIGIN STORY

7. APPLY EARLY

8. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK

9. SHOW YOU CARE

10. GO TO COLLEGE BEFORE COLLEGE

11. DIVERSIFY YOUR DREAMS

12. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

#appblr #studyblr #college admissions #high school #go to college

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eliteprepsat · 4 years ago

Photo

1. FOCUS ON ACADEMICS

2. KNOW WHO YOU ARE

3. GET INVOLVED

4. PRACTICE YOUR CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS

5. STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

6. EMBRACE YOUR ORIGIN STORY

7. APPLY EARLY

8. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK

9. SHOW YOU CARE

10. GO TO COLLEGE BEFORE COLLEGE

11. DIVERSIFY YOUR DREAMS

12. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

#studyblr #college #high school #study tips #college prep #go to college

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eliteprepsat · 5 years ago

Photo

1. FOCUS ON ACADEMICS

2. KNOW WHO YOU ARE

3. GET INVOLVED

4. PRACTICE YOUR CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS

5. STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

6. EMBRACE YOUR ORIGIN STORY

7. APPLY EARLY

8. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK

9. SHOW YOU CARE

10. GO TO COLLEGE BEFORE COLLEGE

11. DIVERSIFY YOUR DREAMS

12. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

#appblr #studyblr #college admissions #high school #go to college

3 notes · View notes

eliteprepsat · 5 years ago

Photo

1. Focus on academics

2. Know who you are

3. Get involved

4. Practice your creative writing skills

5. Stand out from the crowd

6. Embrace your origin story

7. Apply early

8. Network, Network, Network

9. Show you care

10. Go to college before college

11. Diversify your dreams

12. Believe in yourself

#studyblr #college #high school #college prep #study tips #go to college #college admissions

3 notes · View notes

collegeessayguy · 5 years ago

Photo

There are so many things to do in high school but, in some cases, the preoccupation with using high school as a tool to get into college can make life miserable and activities unenjoyable.

SIX WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF HIGH SCHOOL AND STILL HAVE FUN

1. PRACTICE GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL, SINCE IT’S LIKELY TO GET HARDER IN COLLEGE.

One of the reasons college is more stressful than high school? You’re more independent. And because you’re more independent, life in general requires better time management. You’ll have way more obligations and your professors are not going to chase you down to remind you about that deadline next week. Not only that but your parents won’t be just a few feet away and able to bug you when you slack off. Using a calendar to track your day is an easy way to start managing your time a bit better. Some people prefer an old-school, pen-and-paper planner. Studies show that writing things down with your hand (rather than typing them onto a screen), makes you more likely to remember them. But your paper planner can’t send reminders to your phone. If you prefer tech, you can’t go wrong with good ol’ Google calendar. (It’s what I use.) iCalendar is also great, or your parents might have a Cozi Calendar membership you can take advantage of.

Here’s what your calendar might look like:

Regardless of the type of calendar you use, here are a few basics of good time management:

Put tests, practices, events, meetings, appointments, project due dates, and days off into your calendar as soon as you find out about them--this could be as early as the first week of the semester when you get your syllabus.

Once you know when something is due, decide how long it will take to do it. Work backwards and schedule time into your calendar to work on that project or study.

For example, if your science project is due on May 10th, you could allot one hour each day to work on it, May 1 - 9. Or maybe two hours every two days.

Make sure there’s space in your schedule for downtime and fun, too! If need be, block out time to see your friends or just binge that new Netflix show. That way, when someone asks you to help them study on Sunday afternoon, you can tell them you’re busy. Busy (re)watching the new season of Game of Thrones, that is.

2. BALANCE YOUR STUDIES WITH LIFE

You know that colleges favor well-rounded applicants--people who volunteer and get good grades, test well and take part in their communities. But balancing your studies and life is about more than just creating a competitive college application. Taking time away from your studies will invigorate you and activate different parts of your brain. Making art, playing soccer, or just going to a concert will recharge your mental batteries in a way that a 10-minute study break can’t. Participating in life outside of academics also boosts your creativity, increases your emotional intelligence, and helps you strengthen relationships. And just as importantly--it’s fun. Make time to get out of your books and into your life.

3. GET INVOLVED WITH ON-CAMPUS (AND OFF-CAMPUS!) ORGANIZATIONS.

High school is about more than GPAs and SATs; it’s often a place where you form lifelong friendships. And sometimes it’s easier to form those friendships when you see people outside of chemistry class. Explore a few of your school’s organizations--try the debate club, Ultimate Frisbee, fencing, or student government. If your school doesn’t have any organizations that light your fire, try starting your own. Maybe lots of people would want to play Quidditch if you started a team? If starting a school organization isn’t your style, explore the groups and organizations your community has to offer. Check out rec league sports, volunteer at the local animal shelter, or sing with your church’s choir.

Here are a few other ways to connect with people in your community:

Meetup.com: A website that allows users to create events and meetup groups in their local community around any topic you can imagine: Pick-up basketball games, book clubs, weekend, painting groups, mobile app developer meetup groups for girls. Have an interest? There’s probably a meetup for it. Don’t see it? Start your own! Your local community center: You know that building in the park with all the flyers promoting rec league sports, town hall meetings, and litter pick ups? Poke your head in and see if there’s anything on the calendar that appeals to you. It’s a great way to get to know your neighbors.

Check out greatnonprofits.org to find a non-profit near you

Use the search feature at Idealist.org for even more.

Ask your counselor! There could be something coming up next week that you don’t even know about.

Connect with a local museum--many have teen programs and docent opportunities--or check with your local animal shelter, YMCA, temple, church, or synagogue.

Maybe even go back to your middle or elementary school and see how you can help.

4. GET TO KNOW YOUR TEACHERS

Fun fact: your teachers are real, actual humans who have senses of humor, hobbies, and interests outside of getting you to turn in your homework on time. Shocking, right? One of the easiest ways to make the most of high school is to talk to your teachers and get to know them.

Stay after class and ask that question that seemed too in-depth for the rest of the class. Tell them you loved the last novel they selected and ask if they can recommend any similar books. Ask your Government teacher what she thinks of that bill that’s moving through Congress. These conversations will give you deeper insights into the topics you’re studying and—bonus!—will probably (read: definitely) make it easier to get great teacher recommendations for your college applications.

5. TAKE CLASSES YOU LOVE, NOT NECESSARILY THE CLASSES YOU THINK WILL PLEASE YOUR PARENTS/GET YOU A GOOD JOB/MAKE YOU MONEY.

6. PRIORITIZE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND LEARN HOW BEST TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

Real talk: college can be incredibly stressful. You’re juggling a challenging course load, applying for internships, working part time--all while living far from home with roommates you might not have chosen for yourself. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Use your slightly-less-stressful high school years to build good self-care habits. What does this look like? Well, it looks different for everyone, but these basics are a good start:

Get eight hours of sleep

Exercise 20 minutes each day

Drink enough (about half a gallon) of water per day

Limit social media use (and all the self-doubt that comes with it) by setting social media locks that shut you out after you’ve exceeded a certain time limit

Bonus Tip (if you have an iPhone): here’s how to make it work for you and not against you (one of my favorite productivity articles ever, btw)

Spending time with friends doing something other than studying or talking about college applications

#studyblr #high school #college #college prep #college admissions #productivity

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