Archive for the ‘Before Leaving for College’ Category
4 Activities High School Senior Girls Can Do with Their Moms this Summer
College is fast approaching! While you’re loving the idea of being out on your own and having a flexible schedule, your mother is practically in tears that you’ll be moving away. She’s probably pointed out that she’s seen you nearly everyday for the last eighteen years! She carried you in her womb for nine months! She held you when you were moments old, took care of you when you were sick, and came to your bed when there were monsters!
Being a mom is part of who she is! It’s normal for her to be a little sad within all the happiness of you being an adult and about to take the next step in your education. While your summer may be busier than a doctor’s office in flu season, setting aside a few afternoons just to hang out with mom will mean the world to her! Check out these summer activities for some mother-daughter time.
Make a Lunch Date
When was the last time you and your mom had coffee or lunch together, just the two of you? Take two hours to sit down over some french fries or a latte and discuss whatever is on your minds! Having one-on-one time with Mom before leaving for school will increase your chances of maintaining your friendship during college.
Head to the Mall
You’re not too old for back-to-school clothes, and mom’s the perfect person to bring along! While your friends may think you look cute in everything, mom will be the one to speak her mind on a dress that looks completely ridiculous. In the midst of your wardrobe exploration, come up with a game! Choose one silly article of clothing for each other to try on and take pictures! Have a contest to see who can find the ugliest pair of shoes in their aisle. A little harmless mischief with mom can be some of your fondest memories with her!
Beautify
Spend an afternoon with your mom at a salon getting your nails or hair done, or do it at home yourself. Perhaps your mom has three other kids and a full-time job, and doesn’t get out often to do these kinds of activities. Maybe your mom really likes how you do your makeup and would like a few pointers. By bonding over “girl stuff,” you and mom are relating on a “friend” level, which will be very important to your mother-daughter relationship in your adult life.
Schedule a Movie Night
Reserve a night where you and mom can each pick one of your favorite movies to watch. Grab the take-out menu, or make your own snacks, and cozy up on the couch in some comfortable clothes. While watching your mom’s favorite movie, think about why it’s her favorite. Sometimes just by knowing someone’s favorite songs, movies, or books, we can tell a lot about a person. What does this movie tell you about your mom?
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5 Things High School Grads Can Look Forward to about College
As a high school graduate preparing for college in August, whether you know it yet or not, your life is about to change! There’s a big difference between life as a high school senior and life as a college freshman. Even those who loved high school and are reluctant to leave can enjoy college even more! Here are five things you can look forward to about your college education this Fall!
Freedom
In high school, you had a very set schedule, and not much control over it. Your school day began and ended at a particular time. Your parents might have made tacos for dinner every Tuesday for as long as you can remember. You’ve probably spent weekends being dragged to department stores and family parties instead of being able to do what you wanted.
In college, for the most part, you can choose when you want to take classes. You decide when and where you want to study. It’s up to you to determine when and what you want to eat for every meal. You’re in control, and at 17 or 18 years old, you’re ready for it!
The Chance to Be a Rock Star
Between middle school and high school, you’ve had to take science, math, English, social studies, home economics, gym, technology, music, and art. Some of those things you were great at, while others you struggled with. Some subjects bored you to tears. In college, most of the classes you take will be what you’re good at and what interests you, making you feel like a rock star!
New Friends
In college, you’ll meet new people unlike the people you’ve known your whole life. There will be people from other parts of the country and other parts of the world, all with different beliefs, expressions, values, experiences, and ways of having fun! In addition to all of your high school pals, you’ll have a whole different group of people to hang out with.
New Opportunities
Because college is a place where people from all over gather to learn, you’ll find college has a lot more opportunities than high school to learn and try new things. Your college might offer snow shoeing, ice skating, and Irish dancing as physical education courses. Your dining hall may serve meals from other countries, as well as gluten-free and vegan options. There will be clubs on campus that support a variety of different political parties. In college, you’ll have the chance to try so many things you’ve never had the opportunity to try before.
A Fresh Start
As a college freshman, you may be the last to pick your classes and you may be too young to live off campus, but you also have the most time ahead of you to seize opportunities and make your mark. You have a clean slate in which you can do and become anything. You have your whole college career ahead of you. Your road is only beginning!
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4 Summer Mindsets for the High School Graduating Class of 2012
Transitions can bring mixed feelings. Your first day of high school, you probably were excited for possibilities, but fearful of the unknown, and curious as to whether or not Freshmen Friday is a real thing. Graduating high school is another major transition that can leave you feeling all sorts of emotions. You may see some of your friends racing out the door on the last day of school, never looking back, while others cry as they hug their friends and teachers goodbye. Graduating high school is a major step in your life, and there’s a lot to think about! Check out these summer mindsets to help you transition into the next stage of your life!
I Did It!
Congratulations! You’re done! You did it! You’ve completed countless tests and quizzes. You’ve read thousands of pages, and listened to years of lectures. You pushed through that hard math class. You were seen in a bathing suit in gym. You sat next to the kid with hygiene problems in every grade because alphabetically, his name comes right after yours. You began this thirteen year quest at four or five years old, and now you’re done. Celebrate that! Feel good about that! Not everyone graduates high school.
It’s Over.
High school is weird in that you’re with the same people for years, not by choice. It can be difficult to make changes to who you are, and change the way people see you, when everyone already knows you and has an opinion on you. Now that you’ve graduated high school, you can leave whatever you want behind. You don’t have to see the people who made fun of you, or that annoying lunch table, ever again. You can drop any label you’ve had. You can abandon the embarrassing moments and the mistakes. You are about to enter a new stage if your life.
Who am I?
After graduation, you might be starting college, or you might be starting work. Regardless of what you do in this next stage of your life, nobody will know who you are. Your future classmates and professors won’t see you as funny, smart, friendly, outgoing, laid back, passionate, or philosophical. They won’t see you as the popular kid, the geek, the hockey player, the singer, the valedictorian, the cheerleader, or the gamer. You are a blank slate to every person you meet, and it’s up to you to paint them a picture.
Who do I want to be?
Many people believe that it’s during a transition that you’ll have the most success making a change. If you want to be a non-smoker, start college as a non-smoker. If you want to be a vegan but your high school friends thought the idea ridiculous, now’s your chance to try it. If you didn’t feel like you could be yourself in high school, here’s your opportunity to start this new stage of your life in your own skin. This transition out of high school will give you a new lifestyle, a new schedule, new patterns, new friends, and new ideas. It’s easier to add new changes to new patterns, than new changes within the old ways.
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Things To Do After Choosing Your College
After months of applications and hard work, you’ve finally been accepted and chosen the college you will attend in the fall! Congratulations!
Now what?
Now you check off a few more key decisions that will affect your life at school. You do a little research. Then, you get ready for a great ride.
Choose Dorms and Meal Plans
One of the first things you will do as a brand new freshman is decide on a meal plan. Depending on your university, you may also get to pick your dormitory. Take a look at a campus map and consider where each dorm is located in comparison to classes you know you’ll need to take freshman year. If you don’t have any idea about classes, then just choose the dorm with the amenities that best suit your needs.
Tip: Even if you have friends going to the same school as you, I strongly recommend “going in blind”. This means rooming with someone you don’t know. It will be a great way to meet new people.
Find Current Students
If you’re studying in a conservatory program or concentrated department, try finding students on Facebook who have listed this area of study as well. Maybe a friend has an older sibling who has attended your school. Connect with these people to see if they have any tips for freshman!
Find Other New Students
Do you know anyone else who will be a freshman at your university with you? Talk to them to see if they know any inside information on dorms or campus life. It never hurts to have a friend going into a brand new phase of life, so keep in touch with this person when you get to school!
Apply for Scholarships
As I’m sure you know, college is not cheap. Luckily, there are tons of available scholarships out there waiting for you to apply. Cappex is an awesome source for discovering scholarships and finding fun ways to pay for school.
Summer Reading
Often, colleges will recommend summer reading for students based on areas of study or major. If you know your major, look for this list to be sent to you in the mail. Check the university website for suggestions. If you don’t know your major yet or your school doesn’t offer summer reading suggestions, read something for fun to get your brain working before school starts in September!
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Sibling Separation: When Leaving For College Means Leaving Them Behind
One of the most difficult aspects of leaving for college is leaving your family behind–especially your siblings who will be hanging around home for a bit longer. For some, this means leaving a person just a year or two younger than you who has practically been your best friend growing up. For others, this might mean leaving a much younger brother or sister who still has a lot of growing up you feel you may miss out on. If you’re concerned about the relationship you have with your siblings as you enter the life of a college student, check out these tips on how to preserve that special sibling connection!
Establish a Talking Plan:
Come up with a time and method for continuing to talk with your siblings on a regular basis as opposed to calling home once a week and having Mom pass the phone on down. With time set aside to focus on your siblings, you can continue to share the stories you may not want to share in front of Mom and Dad. You’ll also make your sibling feel special, and give them the confidence that you going away to school doesn’t change the closeness of your relationship. Your talking plan could be Skyping a few nights a week, tons of texting and emails, a secret code while on the phone, or even hand written letters!
Set the Dates:
Before you leave for college, come up with a few weekends or holidays you’ll make it home to see your siblings. You could even have fun the weeks prior by making plans for what you’ll do when you see one another. This will give your siblings something to look forward to, and a concrete idea of when they’ll be seeing you again.
Write your Advice:
Despite how often you’ll talk to your siblings while you’re away from college, you both may experience circumstances in which you would like to ask your sibling for their opinion, but are unable to. Before you leave, write your sibling a letter of advice regarding various situations, and have them do the same. It can be silly advice, like what to do when you split your pants at a party, serious advice, like how to handle an argument between your parents, or a combination of the two! This will give both of you something to look at in times of unsureness.
Welcome Them:
Find time to bring your siblings to your school. Show them around, take them to dinner, introduce them to your friends, and open their eyes to what your life is like on campus. If your school has a siblings weekend filled with fun activities planned for young brothers and sisters, invite them to come. Whether your sibling is just a year or two younger, or a decade younger, college is something they haven’t experienced yet and are probably curious about. They will also be comforted by having a picture in their minds for what your life is like.
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Outstanding High School Grad Party Ideas!
If you are looking for ideas for your high school graduation party, look no further! You can always throw the standard open house in your own home, or you can try one of these sweet options to mix things up a bit. Whatever you do, make it fun and special to you.
Destination Celebration!
Try renting out a favorite restaurant with a group of friends. You will be able to save a bit of money splitting the cost. If it is a local place you’re all connected to, it will be a fun way to bid adieu to your hometown together. If you work with the restaurant to have a buffet-style party, more people will easily be able to come and go as they please.
Progressive Dinner
With a group of friends, you could organize a progressive dinner. This is where each member of the group hosts a different course of the evening at their home. For instance, one of you would prepare the appetizers, someone else would serve the main course at their house, and yet another friend would host everyone for dessert! This is great to do with a tight-knit group. It can also work with a larger group if people would rather show up for only one portion of the evening.
Time Travel
Instead of hosting your graduation party right after you graduate – or in the Spring like everyone else – try saving it until later in the Summer! Late July or early August (depending on when most people leave for school) is a great time to have everyone celebrate. It will feel almost like a going-away party and be a fantastic way to wind down your final Summer before college starts.
Dream Theme
Go crazy and pick a theme for your grad party! This can be as rigid or loose as you like, but either way it will give you direction in terms of decorations or ambiance. Even something as cheesy as “Under the Sea” could inspire shrimp appetizers! Blue streamers! Beach music! Or stick to your school colors – your high school or your future college. Do you plan on playing sports at school? Set up a miniature or user-friendly version of your sport in the backyard for guests.
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When Your Parents Don’t Want You To Go: How to Help Your Parents Adjust to You Leaving for College
You’ve been counting down the days since you’ve received your acceptance letter. You’ve been spending every paycheck buying flip-flops and a robe for the shower, new sheets for your bedroom, an office light for your desk, and notebooks for your classes. You’ve had your eye on a new laptop computer. Your GPS already has “Home” programmed to be your college address. You spend your evenings on Skype getting to know your roommate, and the moments before you fall asleep imagining yourself on campus, going to class and meeting friends. It’s going to be so great! If only your parents could see that.
While many parents are happy to see their children take the next step in their education, and may even take a little pleasure in their children moving out of the house, there are some parents who absolutely dread the idea. This can cause all sorts of stress and emotions for those leaving for college. The following is a list of tips for those who have parents who are less-than-thrilled about their children leaving home.
Try Not to Feel Bad
As the day you leave gets closer, and your parents get more upset, it’s only natural for you to start feeling bad about it. Obviously, you want them to be happy for you, not sad that you’re leaving. Remember that leaving home is a normal step everyone must take into adulthood. You haven’t done anything wrong.
Stick To Your Guns
Don’t let your parents talk you into sticking around one more year or going to a college closer to home. If you give in now to make them happy, there’s a chance you’ll regret that decision and resent them later, making matters worse. This is your life. If going to college away from home is what’s best for you, that’s what you need to do.
Give Them Time
Having your children move out is a major adjustment for parents. They’ve spent the last eighteen years getting used to having you around. They’ve protected you your whole life, and now they can’t. In addition, sometimes children moving out is when parents begin to consider themselves “old.” Your parents are going through a lot psychologically. They may react poorly to you leaving when you receive your acceptance letter, but warm up to the idea as time goes on.
Paint Them A Detailed Picture
Parents want to know where their kids are. This doesn’t change after you’ve left for college. Help them adjust by giving them a copy of your schedule so they’ll know when you’re in class. Show them pictures of the campus. Show them a picture of your roommate. Tell them about the college and the surrounding community. If possible, bring them to the college you’ll be attending. The more information your parents have about where you are and what you’ll be doing, the more comfortable they’ll be.
Maintain Communication
Parents often fear that you leaving the house means you won’t talk to them anymore. They want to be kept in the loop. Remember to call them, text them, Facebook them, Skype them, and visit them on a regular basis.
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10 Ways to Spend LE$$ on Your Graduation Party
GETTING STARTED
Location! Hosting graduation parties at your house makes the most sense – it’s cheap and personal! However, if you know your place is too small for all your guests, see if one of your best friends would want to share their home with you and do a double party! Make sure you offer your time and energy to preparation and cleaning up afterwards.
Email! Sending invitations via email or using an eVitation helps you save money on stationary, envelopes, postage and time.
FOOD
No catering! Homemade goodies can go a long way. It will take more work the day of your party, but you will definitely save on hiring someone to make food and deliver it. Pasta salad is a great dish that is easily homemade.
Fill up guests on bread! People will eat less if they fill up right away on their snacks. Mini sandwiches, breadsticks, and crackers with cheese are all good options.
Napkins instead of plates! If you can stick to finger food, you won’t have to splurge on plastic silverware or plates. Larger paper napkins can definitely work for mini sandwiches or handfuls of snack mix.
Borrow supplies! If you need trays to display food, don’t go out and buy new ones. Ask friends to borrow some. Also, get creative with what you have! A large plate placed on top of an upside-down bowl can be a makeshift cookie display.
DECORATIONS
Never underestimate crepe paper streamers! They are super cheap and instantly add color and fun to any room. Using school colors is always super festive. Check out more crepe paper tips here!
One bouquet goes a long way! You can either use one large bouquet of flowers as a centerpiece to your main snack table, or split it up. Placing a single flower in a used wine or soda bottle is simple and elegant; suddenly your big bouquet has turned into tons of tiny versions!
ATMOSPHERE
Free music! Instead of buying or downloading new music, plug your speakers into a laptop or computer and pick your favorite stations on a site like Pandora or create playlists on Spotify.
Group activities! Setting out fun group activities will keep guests entertained. If you have a yard, setting out sports gear (soccer balls, badminton racquets, etc.) will invite them to play a game. If you have limited yard space, place a few decks of Trivial Pursuit or playing cards around for people to pick up and quiz each other.
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7 Fun Activities to Do With Your Friends Before Parting for College
It’s the summer before everyone leaves to go their separate ways. Your schedule is likely jam packed with work, vacations, high school graduation parties, college orientation, and trips to Walmart and Target as you collect your college dorm necessities. This is the summer you want to see your friends before everyone goes down their own road, and you’re busy, busy, busy! The following is a list of activities to do with your friends this summer that will help maximize the fun during a short period of time.
Recollect the Good Ol’ Days
Many groups of friends could easily spend hours telling and retelling the stories of the times they’ve spent together. While some prefer to sit around the pool or a restaurant table discussing these tales, others might find it more fulfilling to document them by creating a scrap book, writing them down as stories, or recording them as audible files, so they can be shared months and years later. Recollecting and documenting your experiences together allows for everyone to feel like who they are, what they did, and how they relate to one another, matters.
Spend A Day Outdoors
Take advantage of the summer sun by planning a day you’ll spend outdoors. This may mean sitting around a bonfire, having a picnic, going on a hike, heading for the beach, hitting up an amusement park, or camping. Fresh air and sunshine tends to put everyone in a pleasant mood!
Throw A Party
While you and your group of friends are probably attending many parties this summer for everyone’s graduation, those parties often involve lots of relatives and people you haven’t met. By having a get together with just your friends, you’re having fun exclusively with your best pals.
Play A Game Together
This could mean board games, trivia games, card games, video games, outdoor games, or a sports game. Acting as a team with your friends will reaffirm the bond you share with one another.
Share A Meal Together
By grilling on the deck, preparing a three-course meal, organizing a potluck, or by making reservations somewhere nice, you and your friends are creating a family-like atmosphere where you can enjoy relating to one another as young adults as opposed to the high school and middle school kids you once were.
Work On a Project
Find something everyone can work on together with their own individual talents. You could restore a car, knit a quilt, start a garden, build something for your dorm rooms, paint a mural, adopt a highway, plant trees, write a book, or remodel a room. Doing something cool together will remind everyone that they are capable of great things, even in high school.
Find A Symbol
Just like husbands and wives might take comfort in their wedding rings, some groups of friends may feel more comfortable through this transition if something concrete and greater than them serves to represent their friendship. You could do something sweet and sentimental such as naming a star, or getting matching jewelry, or you could go the goofy route and keep everyone’s spirits up by symbolizing your friendship with a hideous figurine, or other ridiculous artifact.
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Spring To Do List for High School Seniors!
As a high school senior, this time of year is hectic to be sure! You’re hearing back from schools, attending graduation parties, and thinking about the crazy summer ahead before college starts. To make your life a tiny bit easier, here is a Spring To Do List! You can thank me later.
Thank You Cards
Write cards or emails to all the people who made your college applications happen. This includes teachers who wrote you recommendation letters, advisors or mentors who helped you choose schools, and any family or friends who helped set up your graduation event. Short and simple will go a long way and show your gratitude.
Organize Your Stuff
You’ve probably got papers and books and piles of stuff that have built up in your room over the years. Get organized now! It will make packing for school later this summer so much easier. When you know what you have and know what you need you won’t feel frazzled.
Celebrate
Treat yourself to something special to celebrate the end of high school, completion of applications and the start of your next life chapter! Throw a party with a few close friends or a potluck with tons of people. Get a pedicure. Take banjo lessons. Whatever it is, do it for you and enjoy it.
Apply for Scholarships
There are plenty of ways to fund your schooling and you can start now! Be proactive and find great scholarships on Cappex that fit your financial needs and interests. Scholarships exist for all kinds of students; find the scholarship that is right for you and gear up to fund your education!
Enjoy Living at Home
When you live in dorms or on campus, you won’t have access to all the perks (and disadvantages) of living at home. It will definitely be nice to have your independence, but enjoy being around family while you can. Dining hall meals might get old fast, so enjoy home cooking and great groceries.
Don’t Freak Out!
Seriously – don’t freak out! All the changes going on in your life can get overwhelming. When you get frustrated or scared, just remember that everyone your age is going through the same thing. Even those students that boast about how ready and excited they are – they’ve got the same insecurities because none of you have been to college before. You can do it! It’s a terrific and awesome journey. Keep a positive spin on all that’s going on and don’t freak out!
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