My College Guide

How to Prepare for Your First College Football Game

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:00:18 +0000

Going to a college football game is just one of the many experiences associated with going to college. If your only football experience is the typical high school football match-ups, you should realize that the college football experience isn’t exactly the same. Sure, the basic concept of supporting your home team doesn’t change, but there is more to a college football game than cheering after every touchdown, pass or interception. Bring your enthusiasm and college team gear and get ready for a day of fun and team spirit.

Tailgating

The biggest difference between a high school football game and a college football game is the pre-game activities in the parking lot. Most high schools do not have organized tailgating activities. On the other hand, most college games unofficially start hours before kickoff with well-organized parking lot activities.

The most cherished of these activities is the vast amounts of food being prepared as the players go over the playbook one last time. The exact type of food varies by college and region of the country, but generally you will find burgers, hot dogs, chicken, wings, corn on the cob and a variety of local favorites among the culinary delights ready for consumption.

Some colleges have a long history of tailgating parties starting early game day morning and continuing right through the actual game. Tailgating at a college game always draws a crowd. Some of these crowds range in the thousands, especially on game day. At Penn State, the population of the State College, Pennsylvania more than doubles on most game days just from the sheer volume of fans.

Traditions

The biggest tradition for most college games is wearing team colors. This may have been a part of high school games, but if you go to a college game it is almost a requirement to wear some form of the team colors. Another common college football tradition involves the mascot. This is usually not just somebody in a mascot costume. Sometimes it is an actual animal.

Sometimes, traditions involve the cheerleaders saying a certain cheer or even the band performing in a certain way. When Ohio State’s marching band takes the field to spell out “Ohio,” in cursive no less, it is considered an honor to be the dot on the “I” after the word is spelled out. Before each Colorado University home game, it is a tradition for select students to run Ralphie the buffalo (some guy in a buffalo costume) around the field.

At Clemson University in South Carolina, students rub Howard’s Rock, named for a former coach, for good luck before the start of each home game. The bigger the school, the more elaborate the traditions tend to be, from the marching in formation before the Army-Navy game to the elite Irish color guard in authentic Scottish kilts before Notre Dame’s games.

Cheering

Instead of cheering for individual players, the focus among the crowd at a college game is the team as a whole. The one exception to this rule is the quarterback. Just like in high school, the QB gets plenty of love from the home team fans. However, the general atmosphere is more team-centered than high school games. Most fans at a high school game tend to be family members of the team players.

At a college game, the mix of the crowd is different. The crowd is mostly made up of students, with faculty and alumni members sprinkled here and there throughout the masses. Some schools have specific cheering traditions, with others just doing some variation of the wave. You will likely see a team mascot encouraging the crowd for the duration of the game.

Be prepared to leave the game with a sore throat from the struggle to be heard among a crowd of thousands. In high school, game day is a regular weekly gathering of the faithful. In college, it is an event.

Author Bio:
Nancy Zimmer writes for TicketLiquidator.com, a website dedicated to helping event-goers find the best college football games.

Saving Money on Your College Books and Supplies

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:54:05 +0000

You’ve probably spent a good deal of time worrying about everything from how to survive college to how to find a college roommate. It is easy to lose sight of money related issues. No one has to tell you that college is expensive, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find ways to make college a little less painful on the pocketbook. This topic is more important than many people might believe. Every cent you spend at college really adds up. Let’s face it; the price of college textbooks alone can be nothing less than extremely comical!

In this article, we will look at some of the ways you can keep your college book fees as low as possible. It should be stated that no matter how hard you try, there will be times that you will have no choice but to give in and buy your textbooks from your college bookstore. However, most of the time, you will be able to find an alternative path and save money in the process!

Consider downloading your books from an online digital bookstore. There are many companies that specialize in selling not just books online, but also online textbooks. Often you can save a great deal of money in this fashion. Additionally, e-readers have become increasingly inexpensive and lightweight, and that means you might not even have to use your laptop. Many people find that e-readers can also be a little easier on the eyes as well.

Used bookstores are your friend! Go off campus and look online for used books, as paying full price your textbooks increasingly makes less and less sense. Sure someone has to pay full price, but that doesn’t mean it has to be you (or at least not all the time).

Of course, finding your books either online or at a used book store will take a little planning, and that means not waiting until the last second. While you might have to put in more effort by working to find your textbooks in this fashion, the upside is that you can not only save hundreds of dollars, but literally thousands over the course of a four-year degree!

Other supplies can be found cheaper online and in other stores too. Simple, but very necessary supplies such as pens, markers, notebooks and a range of specialty supplies are marked up in a dramatic fashion in the college bookstores. Again, these small saving steps can really add up.

You likely spent a good deal of your time researching financial aid and grants, private loans for college and even college saving programs. But that doesn’t mean that the “financial side” of college is over and done with in the least. You owe it to yourself to reduce your amount of student debt if possible. Remember that there are people only slightly older than you are now suffering tremendously with student loan burdens that they can’t repay. Many of these students were very bright and even received what was deemed the “right” degree at the time. Stay sharp and think through all of your college related decisions, financial and otherwise.

Is Community College Right For You?

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:16:07 +0000

If you are like most high school seniors, you’ve spent a good deal of time exploring what it takes to find the right college. Part of this process has no doubt been learning about private loans for college, college savings programs and financial aid and grants. Just trying to understand the financial part of the college equation can be a great deal of serious work!

During this research, you may have discovered that you just can’t find a way to pay for a traditional four-year degree at a college or university. You may also be worried that your grades are not going to be good enough to get you into one of the schools of your choice. The good news is that if you fall into these categories, there are still good options.

The community college system is diverse, works well and is more popular than ever. The inexplicable and continued rise in college tuition in the last few years has fed something a renaissance for community colleges. Also if you are thinking that only large communities and cities have community colleges, then guess again. The fact is that there are more community colleges than you might imagine, and the odds are good that there is one within driving distance of you.

Community colleges offer a great, if not fantastic, value for the money. When compared to the increasingly astronomical tuition rates at private and even some state schools, community colleges are nothing short of a bargain, if not a super bargain!

Attending a community college for two years and then transferring to finish your degree can save you a massive amount of money. Plus, if you don’t have the grades or the SAT scores to get into one of your top picks or any of your local schools, this could be a second chance!

If you consistently pull good grades in a community college, you should be able to transfer to a four-year university or college to complete your degree. You will also have more time to find the right college and look into financial aid and grants as well. Thanks to community colleges, thousands of students, of all ages, who could not otherwise attend college, have the opportunity to do so.

5 Key Ways You Could Benefit from Attending a Community College

Earn credits to transfer to a four-year college or university
Save money
Have additional time to investigate how to pay for college
Have additional time to explore what major you will choose
Gain access to knowledgeable facility, professors and instructors who can help guide your education and career path

These are only some of the ways that you can benefit from attending a community college. If you think the four-year university or college route is closed to you, then you should consider community college. In short, community colleges have a great deal to offer. Community colleges help countless people every year, and they can help you as well.

Should You Use Test Preparation Books?

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:11:31 +0000

When it comes to preparing for college, you want to make sure that you’ve done all that you can. This means exploring many different avenues when it comes to SAT prep.

You’ve likely spent a good deal of time researching colleges, looking into how to find scholarships and pre college summer programs, and you’ve also likely given a good deal of thought to preparing for the SAT. At the top of the list of ways to prepare for this test are SAT preparation books. However, where SAT test preparation books are concerned, it important that you take a few factors into consideration.

The first factor that you should take into consideration is that there are a lot, a whole lot, of SAT test preparation books. As a result, many people are overwhelmed and just throw in the towel when it comes to SAT prep books. Others simply find the big names in test preparation and pick one of their books.

When it comes to using preparing for the SAT, you want the best tools possible. It should be no big surprise that some are better than others. One fact about SAT prep books that you don’t hear very often is that some of them, including one’s published by big names in the field, are poor or even awful. There are some books that really won’t help you including an SAT test preparation book that is really boring or doesn’t explain the answers so you can improve. Worst of all, some SAT prep books even have errors in them! Obviously, this is the last thing you want!

Finding a good SAT test preparation book is an exercise in first patience and second research. Look at what SAT test prep books are available online. You should read reviews from others who have used the book and then taken the test. Also keep a sharp eye out for books that are full of errors or that people just don’t like. If one person states that a book is horrible that might not mean much, but if dozens of people are saying that a book is awful, then that is something you should listen to and strongly take into consideration.

How you like to study is another factor where SAT test preparation books are concerned. Your style of studying and what you feel comfortable with needs to be factored into the equation. Simply grabbing the book that everyone likes may not work for you, as this book might not mesh with your learning style or it may fail to focus on your weak points sufficiently.

In the end, it makes sense to invest some time and find a book or books that work for you personally. Don’t be afraid to use many different books until you find ones that help you build your score on practice tests. (And you should be taking practice tests!) While it is true that everything is online, this is one time that a trip to your local library might be a good idea, as they may have a few SAT books that you can look at and compare. This step will save you time, effort and money.

The Importance of Great Organizing

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:24:49 +0000

As you look to make the transition from high-school to college, you are probably feeling as though there is a never ending and maybe even growing “checklist” of things you need to worry about or check off your list. Don’t worry if you feel this way, as it is very normal and quite common.

When it comes to getting into one of your top college picks, you might not think much about your level of organization, but it is actually of paramount importance in the process. The more organized you are, the greater your chances of getting into one of your top college picks. The odds are higher for ultimate success in college as well.

If you haven’t been “much for organizing” in the past, now is definitely the time to change that. Studying for the SAT, meeting deadlines, writing essays, taking practice tests, evaluating your different college options, investigating financial aid for college tuition and direct federal student loans takes a lot of time, and that means a lot of organization is essential.

One of the single largest steps towards great organization is being willing to prioritize what is important and what is not important. Tackle this step first, and getting organized will become a great deal easier.

Sacrificing things that you enjoy doing in order to do something that you don’t like or find unpleasant is easier said than done. One trick is to start small with small sacrifices of things that you enjoy. Instead use that “recovered time” for something that relates to getting into the school of your dreams, or at least one of the schools that you like the idea of attending!

You could tackle this issue on a week by week basis. Here is an example of how you could structure your college prep organizing. You don’t have to use this exact model, but instead you can adapt this strategy for whatever works for you!

Week One-Spend more time studying for SAT

Week Two-Research colleges

Week Three-Get College applications

Week Four-Research financial aid related issues

Week Five-Make list of relevant deadlines

Week Six-Think about ways you can become more efficient and effective in how you use your time and make a list!

Each week look for ways that you can set time aside so that you can apply that time towards getting into college. As a result, you will become far more organized and also far calmer! Being organized has a benefit that few consider; being organized means less panic and that means better decision-making.

Many students “end up” at universities and colleges that were nowhere near their top picks for no other reason that a failure to get organized in advance. They had all the tools, the necessary grades, good letters of recommendation and maybe even good SAT scores, but they lacked proper preparation.

Think of getting into college like you would think about starting a business. You wouldn’t just try to open a business without preparing in some fashion, would you? You instinctively understand and know that a business, at least one with any chance of success, needs work and planning. If you invest your time in this fashion, you will be surprised by what you can accomplish.

Should You Stay on Campus or Rent an Apartment?

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:38:04 +0000

You’ve probably given at least a little time to thinking about how to survive college, and if you haven’t, you should start doing so. One of the major decisions that you will need to make regarding college is whether or not you will stay in on campus or rent an apartment nearby. A lot goes into this decision. In this article, we will look at some of the pros and cons of each path.

Staying on campus means that you get the full college dorm life experience with all of its ups and downs and pros and cons. There are many good aspects regarding opting for dorm life, as you will be able to meet a lot of new friends, pseudo-friends, future enemies and acquaintances more readily than you would living in an apartment off campus. No doubt, adjusting to living in a new city or state can be a little bit easier if you are constantly surrounded by people that you might have something in common with, or at least in theory.

Yet, college dorm life can have a lot of downsides. One major downside is that it can be difficult to focus on your studies. Now if you are going to college to mostly appease your parents, and have opted for what you feel will be a pretty “easy” major, then college dorm life could very well be the way to go. This is even truer if you are mostly concerned with having a good time and partying. However, if you are considering a difficult major or want plenty of time to study, then you will want to reconsider living in a dorm.

Students who want to be able to study in peace may not find that living in a dorm is the best place to do this. No matter how studious you may, be there is no way to ensure that your dorm mates or floor mates will share your perspective on the value of peace and quite. The fact that people will surround you who have different majors and different course loads, means that they will have different study habits too. No matter what your perspective, this is a good point to keep in mind as it could influence your success level in college.

Renting an apartment gives your more control over your environment, and you may also enjoy more creature comforts. On the downside, you won’t enjoy the instant access to the campus and instant access to classmates.

Opting for an apartment doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your social life. In fact, depending on your personality, having an apartment of your own may actually help your social life. After all, college students love trashing other people’s places during parties!

If you do choose an apartment, you may have to find a college roommate and that can be a tricky proposition (but so is potentially getting “stuck” with a dorm roommate that you hate!) The bottom line is that there are pros and cons to both of these options. Ultimately, you need to think long and hard about what kind of person you are, how easily you make friends and what you want out of the college experience.

Two Books With Great Titles About Transitioning From High School to College

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:24:28 +0000

If you’ve ever been tempted to ask tell someone “Find a college for me, so I don’t have to think about it!” you are not alone. Millions of high-school student apply to college every year, and the process can be bewildering. Whether its worrying about finding the best SAT practice test online, how to find scholarships or just how to survive college, transitioning from high-school to college can at times be daunting. Yet, with a little bit of research, you can take some of the sting out of this process. Let’s take a look at a couple of books that can help make the process of going from high-school to college a bit easier.

Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College by Andrew Ferguson

Crazy U was a very clever title. This title immediately makes you think that this book is going to be all about the crazy fun that people have while at college. Well, that isn’t exactly what this book is all about. On the contrary, Crazy U is all about a dad working to get his kid into college. Here is why this is a good book and a worthwhile investment; author Andrew Ferguson does a good job of reminding parents how intense, stressful and, to be blunt, ridiculous the entire transition from high school to college actually is in the modern academic system. Having a book that takes you by the hand and helps you through this highly irritating and frustrating process is worth the asking price and the time invested in reading it.

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer: How to Survive the College Admissions Process Without Losing Your Mind by Risa Lewak

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer: How to Survive the College Admissions Process Without Losing Your Mind by Risa Lewak is a good book and it also has a very amusing title. However, this offering it doesn’t measure up in terms of information or value to Crazy U by Andrew Ferguson. Both are good books, but Crazy U is better. Now with that stated, that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t benefit from reading both.

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer does a very good job of attempting to dissect the college admissions process. It should also be stated that this book is more geared towards than Crazy U as well. Lewak understands the process of getting into college as she was involved in the process “from the other side.” As a result, she has a wealth of insight and tips in the process.

Overall, there are an abundance of insightful tips and you will definitely feel as though you have a better handle on what to do and expect where applying for college is concerned. Parents and students looking to understand the process better will like that this book is easy to read, clearly laid out and gives many straightforward answer instead of stating repeatedly, “it depend,” which is so common in books in this genre.

Are Only High Paying Majors Worth The Time?

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:32:21 +0000

You’ve probably heard a good deal about the wildly increasing price tag of a university or college degree. This is not to state that there are still not great deals in education to be found, but there is no doubt that these deals are far harder to find and require much more research than in days past.

All of this has left people wondering not just how to survive college or college dorm life, but whether or not they should attend college in the first place. Additionally, many students are also wondering if they should only attend college if they are going to major in a career with a “big pay day.” Increasingly, people are beginning to question whether or not college makes sense for everyone.

While there is no denying that the job market is far tougher than in the past, some other facts are also undeniable. College graduates still earn far more than those with just a high school degree. Those who go on and get professional degrees earn even more than those who earn college degrees. Or stated another way, college still does pay.

Yet, the world is full of people with graduate degrees working minimum wage jobs. This is a fact of life and a reflection of the current economic situation which is, unfortunately, likely to continue for some years to come. So what is a student considering college to do?

No matter what kind of college degree you get, you will be more employable than those without a college degree. This is just a fact. While you might be thinking twice about a degree without a big payoff, you’re still better off with a degree of some kind.

Not all high-paying degrees are right for everyone. After all, a job that makes you truly miserable is one that you will not do forever. Many people don’t actually stay with the careers that they are trained to do. The reason for this is that once they enter the workforce and enter their chosen career, they hate it. The money looks great on paper, but they discover after they begin the job that it’s not for them. This is definitely a factor for every student to consider and here is why. College degrees can be expensive, and professional degrees can be doubly so. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a massive college bill without a career path to pay for it.

So on one hand you are better off with a college degree, but you also have to consider how much your degree will allow you to earn when you graduate and how much your college debt will be. All of this underscores how important it is to have good advice and a knowledgeable mentor or two. Also investigating all of your options is essential.

You can find the right college for your needs and one that will help you plot out your future career. Just remember to plan well in advance, and weigh all of the choices before making a decision.

The Practical Benefits of Studying Abroad

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:24:30 +0000

Between financial aid for college tuition and learning how to find scholarships, you might feel as though you have your plate pretty full. There are definitely many different factors that go into making the switch from high school to college, but it is also a good idea to be looking ahead as well. One way to look ahead to is think about issues such as studying abroad. In this article, we will explore why to study abroad and the variety of practical benefits that come with making this decision.

Studying abroad comes with a very wide range of real world, practical benefits. If people understood the potential values of studying abroad, they wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss it. Of course, there is no doubt studying abroad will not serve you in the end if you just use your time studying in another country as little more than an excuse to party in a different place. However, if you take studying abroad seriously, you will benefit.

Increasingly in today’s global marketplace employers are looking for well-rounded individuals that understand more than the confines of their local area or insulated small town. The old ways of doing business are gone, and they are not coming back. The sooner that you realize this fact the better off your job prospects will be.

Finding ways of distinguishing yourself in a competitive marketplace is often difficult especially in a tough job market. One of the best ways for young college graduates to distinguish themselves is to have interesting points on their resumes. Being skilled at video games might cut it when unemployment is at a record low, but in a fierce job market resumes need to be a little meatier. If you can point to your time studying in a foreign country it can help you stand out from the crowd.

A major benefit to studying abroad is that it gives you options to easily distinguish yourself further. You can point to the language and cultural skills that you acquired as well as social connections that you developed. Further, studying abroad gives you an opportunity to volunteer or intern with foreign companies. This helps show prospective employers that you are ambitious, driven, thinking ahead and can adapt to new situations. Doesn’t that sound like an employee that you would want to hire?

You may even have the opportunity to perfect your knowledge of a foreign language. Some study abroad programs offer immersion classes that can assist you to learn a new language much more quickly. Needless to say, your ability to speak a language fluently can really help you when it comes time to look for a job.

If you can find a way to study abroad during the time you are in college you should consider it. Just make sure that you think through what you will do with your time once in your new country. Invest that time wisely. If you do something like volunteer and/or intern, even if it is only for a couple of hours a week, you may see ample rewards. Above all, ignore those that seek to tell you that studying abroad isn’t for you. You should make that determination on your own.

Community Colleges – A Great Option to Consider

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:20:35 +0000

One of the single most important parts of the transition from high school to college is being prepared. Clearly, you should work hard to find financial aid for college tuition and direction federal student loans; however, if you are unable to afford college or your grades didn’t allow you to get into any local colleges or universities, don’t panic. It is important to remember that you still have options for receiving an education.

Millions of people have successfully used the community college system. You can attend community college to receive further education and even transfer to a four-year college or university later on.

Here are two good books on the topic of community colleges.

Community College by Susan H. Stafford

Okay, you didn’t get into the college of your dreams or you just can’t afford to go. That doesn’t mean that you should just give up on your dream of getting a college degree. College graduates earn far more over the course of their lifetime than those with just high-school diplomas. This book is valuable in that it gets students and parents thinking about community college, which stands out as an important often overlooked resource.

Going to a community college can save you a staggering amount of money, and this book has most of what you need to know to begin the community college process. There are many misconceptions regarding community college, and Community College by Susan H. Stafford is rather effective at clearing some of them up. Another reason this book is a winner is that it doesn’t just state, “go to a community college” but instead gives you concrete reasons to do so. This is done by showing how community colleges can tie into creating new career and earning opportunities.

If you think that your college dreams are over, then pick this book up. It will remind you that you can, in fact, return to college at any age with very little money.

The Community College Guide: The Essential Reference from Application to Graduation by Joshua Halberstam and Debra Gonsher

The Community College Guide: The Essential Reference from Application to Graduation by Joshua Halberstam and Debra Gonsher takes a slightly different approach to community college than other books. Halberstam and Gonsher’s approach goes beyond making the solid case for community college and gets directly into the “nuts and bolts,” such as transcripts and financial aid concerns.

Anyone considering community college will find this helpful; however, you will definitely skip over some sections. At times the handholding might seem excessive, but ultimately there is no denying that this book is worth the effort, just be prepared to do some serious skipping and skimming. Any book that makes a case for the value and worth of the community college system is one that is worth reading and supporting.

Both of these books can help outline the community college experience and what it has to offer. Remember that you should be able to find a community college in your area. In addition, you will also find many dedicated people at your local community college that are eager to help guide you, so seek them out and ask for help!