Archive for the ‘High School Tips’ Category
How High School Seniors Can Hit the Ground Running This Fall
Photo: jmu.edu
Being a senior is a pretty big deal. You’re the oldest, the smartest, and before you know it, you’ll be emptying your locker and kissing the school buses and bells goodbye forever! Sure, you could sleep through your classes and skip days. You could take that early dismissal every chance you get. You could blow off your assignments and call it “senior-itis.” But is that really how you want to spend your last year?
This is your last chance to score the lead in the musicals, to make captain of your swim team, and to break personal records. This is your last opportunity to get to know your classmates before you all part ways and only see one another through the lens of a Facebook page. The time to make a difference is now. Here’s how you can hit the ground running this fall!
“It Ain’t Over till the Fat Lady Sings.”
It’s hard to care about high school academics when you’re so close to the end. It gets even harder when you have an acceptance letter in your hand, and your exciting future is quickly beginning to sketch itself right before your eyes! Hard as it may be, it’s crucial that you maintain your motivation and continue to work hard! The truth is, until you have that diploma in your hand, it isn’t over. There will be plenty of time to celebrate (like all summer) when you really have finished your journey! Don’t start the party too soon, as there can still be consequences.
Seize the Year
Since you’re here another year, you may as well make the very most of it. Even if you’re dying to get out, and you think you will never want to see these people or go through this experience again, there will be times you look back on it fondly. Don’t give yourself the chance to wonder if you missed out on an opportunity. Try out for cheerleading if you always wanted to. Go to homecoming, whether you have a date or not. Take an art class, just for the heck of it! Ask that guy or girl out! What do you really have to lose at this point?
Don’t Take Your Reputation Too Seriously
A year from now, you will be somewhere new, with a different life, and new friends to add to your old ones. Most of the people you see on a daily basis, you probably won’t see much, or ever again for that matter. Don’t waste your energy trying to impress the girls in the front row who made it clear back in elementary school that they don’t want to be your friend. Don’t spend the year trying to correct a rumor you once heard about yourself. You’ve got one year left, and it’s not worth it! Focus your energy on what you are going to do, and what you’re going to become! It’s your future that matters now.
Deciding to Join the Military
Joining the military can be a great, respectable option for students who don’t want to go to college, students who wish to postpone college for a few years, or students who are looking to enter the work force after high school. The military offers a unique experience to give back to your country, and many people are attracted to the prestige and benefits the military has to offer.
You may be thinking about the military as part of your future plans, but before you make a definite decision, it is important to ask yourself what your real motivation for enlisting is. The military is not for everyone, and once you enlist, you’re required to serve out your term even if it doesn’t turn out to be the experience you anticipated. Serving can be a very rewarding experience both personally and professionally and allow you to have a very enriching few years. Consider the following potential motives:
• Are you looking for a job?
• Do you not know what else to do?
• Do you want to serve your country?
• Are you looking for a career with the military, or do you just want to serve a term or two?
• Are you interested in the educational benefits and money for college?
• Do you want to see the world?
• Are you looking for a way to mature?
• Does serving in the military run in your family?
• Do you need money for college?
• Are other personal motivations driving you?
Once you determine that—and why—the military is the right choice for you, you will need to determine which branch you’d like to join. The best way to gain a real perspective about what military life will be like in each of the services is to meet with recruiters and ask all the questions you have about enlisting, including how to get started, specific details about deployment and active duty, what job opportunities are available to a new recruit, and whether there are options available primarily in the United States or overseas. There are six main services that make up the military: Marines, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and National Guard/Reserves. Once you research each of these branches and narrow down your decision, speaking to your guidance counselor or looking on the internet will help you find recruiters and recruiting offices in your area.
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How to Solve a Conflict with a Coworker at your Summer Job
You try to like everybody you work with, but sometimes you just can’t. There’s the guy who spends more time flirting with girls than doing his job, and the girl who comes in late and complains about her hours while you’re the one picking up the slack! Ignoring problems with a coworker may be an okay solution for a little while, but eventually, you’re going to get sick of staying late because of someone else, or getting blamed for something you didn’t do. When it’s time to solve your conflict with a coworker, check out these tips!
Talk it Out
Believe it or not, most conflicts end just by talking about them. Sometimes all it takes for your coworker to stop doing something that’s bothering you is to let them know it’s bothers you! When you and your coworker are alone, bring up the issue respectfully to ensure your coworker does not feel as if they’re being attacked or accused of anything. Ask to have a discussion about the issue, and listen to what they have to say. Take their thoughts as seriously as you take yours.
If you’re unsure how to start a conversation about a conflict with a coworker: check out these starting lines:
“I have noticed that….”
“I was wondering if….”
“Would it be okay if…”
“Would you mind if…”
More Tips on Having a Discussion with a Coworker About a Conflict
Don’t interrupt. Even if you think what they’re saying is completely wrong, let them finish speaking before you say anything.
Avoid using negative language and name calling, as you may come off accusatory or hostile.
When possible, use “we” instead of “you” to imply you’re working as a team as opposed to against one another.
Give them your full attention and ask that they give you theirs. This means no texting, digging through your wallet, etc.
Keep your voice calm and even in tone.
Give them space. You don’t want to threaten them by getting too close and in their face.
Watch your body language. Try to avoid making fists with your hands and rolling your eyes.
Avoid using terms like “right” and “wrong.” Instead, place an emphasis on how your coworker’s actions make you feel.
Propose solutions. If you have a problem with something your coworker is doing, they may be more receptive to correcting it if there are solutions on the table. If they give a solution you don’t like, be prepared to offer another solution as opposed to simply rejecting theirs.
Keep the conversation between the two of you.
When Talking Isn’t Enough
While most conflicts can be handled just by talking about them, that’s not always the case. Should you attempt to talk out your problems and fail, check out these other tips:
Ask the scheduling manager if you can be put on separate shifts.
Limit your interactions with this coworker.
Speak to the manager about your problem, especially if your coworker is doing something illegal, or something that could potentially get you or another coworker into trouble.
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Meeting With Your Guidance Counselor
Congratulations—you just finished your junior year! After what is arguably the most important year of high school, filled with preparing for and taking standardized tests, harder exams in your classes, and new-found leadership roles, your college search can really begin. You worked hard this year, and it’s time for summer break—but not before one final meeting with your guidance counselor. Applying to college is a detailed process, and this meeting will help you get everything set up before you part ways for the summer.
Get Help Picking Schools
Once your junior year is complete and you have your grades and SAT/ACT scores, it’s time to start applying to college. Meeting with your guidance counselor will give you a chance to discuss which schools you have a good chance of getting accepted into (“strong schools”), which schools may be a reach (“reach schools”), and which schools you should apply to as a back-up where you will definitely be accepted (“safety schools”). Together, you can compile a list of schools that may be right for you; your counselor may even be able to suggest schools that meet your criteria that you didn’t know about or hadn’t been considering.
Make A Timeline
Summer break is a great time to get ahead on your college applications. Some schools begin accepting applications as early as July, leaving you lots of time to get them started before your senior year starts in the fall. When you meet with your guidance counselor and figure out which schools are right for you, look on their websites and find out when the essay topics are released, when the applications open, and the time windows of when applications will be accepted. Creating a timeline of all these dates will help you stay organized and on top of your game.
Find Scholarships
If you are looking for scholarships to help pay for school, this is also a great time to discuss different options about where to find scholarships and how to apply for them. Your guidance counselor will have information on the different merit-based, need-based, and athletic scholarships that you may qualify for, and can be a great resource in helping you get the financial aid that you need. Cappex is also a great tool to help you apply for scholarships.
Letter of Recommendation
A letter of recommendation can be a great addition to your college application. They are required by some schools and not by others, but they can help you stand out in the applicant pool and make you seem more personable to the Admissions Office. You may want to ask your guidance counselor to write one of these letters for you, as they have been helping you throughout your high school years and they know you both personally and academically.
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3 Things Leadership Experience Can Demonstrate to a College Admissions Board
You know that having leadership roles on your resume looks good to potential colleges, but have you ever thought about why? After all, not everyone wants to be a leader. Not everyone wants to own their own business, supervise a team, or have authority over anyone else. So why is indicating leadership important on a college application? Here’s some of the reasons why your job as secretary of the photography club, or editor of the school newspaper can indicate you’re ready for college!
You Have Interests
If you’re acting in a leadership role for a club or organization, you probably have an interest in that area. You care about something enough that you’re taking time out of your life to fulfill that passion. As the secretary of the photography club, you want your voice to be heard when it comes to deciding on issues relating to your group. As the editor of the school newspaper, you care about the finished product.
College students are expected to have a passion for their field. They are expected to care about issues related to their future career. Sometimes they’re expected to have to sacrifice an afternoon game of football or a Saturday night dinner with friends for the sake of finishing up a major project. If you’re the leader of a club, you’ve got what it takes to pick a major that interests you and run with it.
You Can Handle An Intense Schedule
As a leader in high school, you know how to manage your time and balance your schedule. In addition to the hours spent at school, doing homework, and hanging out with friends, you have the responsibility of managing an after-school activity. You’ve taken on more work than the typical high school student.
In college, your classes will be at all different times. You’ll have more homework than you have now. In addition, nobody is going to make you go to class or do your homework. Your professors won’t tell you when to start studying for a test. Your parents won’t tell you when it’s time to eat. Your schedule and your workload are in your own hands. It’s up to you to make it work. If you’re managing a complicated schedule in high school, you’ll be more likely able to handle yourself well in college.
You Go Above and Beyond
By taking on a leadership role in high school, you’re doing more than you have to do as a high school student, because you want to. For one reason or another, you chose to take on more responsibilities and more work.
In college, it’s all about self-motivation. You don’t have to go to college. Your grades will be what you make them, and your career will be what you make it. If you’re willing to go above and beyond in high school, you show a lot of promise in college!
With that being said, leadership roles are not the only ways to get into college, nor are they a guarantee.
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Why You’ll Enjoy Volunteer Work in High School
In high school, you might be expected to do some volunteer work, whether it be for your college application, a social studies class, or an after-school organization. It’s perfectly understandable if you’re not exactly looking forward to these hours: you’re very busy, and working without getting paid doesn’t sound very fun. You may, however, be surprised at how you will benefit from doing volunteer work!
Meeting New People: In high school, you’ve likely been around the same people your whole life. Everyone at school knows as a certain way. There’s someone who still brings up the time you ate glue in second grade. You’re known to be a part of a particular crowd. It can be incredibly hard to break away from how everyone at school has always seen you. When you do volunteer work, you’ll be meeting lots of people from other schools who have no idea who you are except what you give them. This is a chance to make new friendships and relationships based on something other than the last fifteen years. In addition, meeting new people will become important in college, so you may as well practice through volunteer work!
Learning About Important Issues: As a volunteer, you’ll likely be made aware of the many issues and problems that your community may have. By working in a soup kitchen, you may for the first time discover the amount of homeless people living in your area. By volunteering at your public library, you may realize how little money the library has as well as where your community’s literacy rate stands. By volunteering with an environmental cleanup group, you may learn about what is causing pollution in your area. When you take the time to volunteer in your community, you’re taking a step outside of your school’s walls and getting a look at everything that impacts your community as a whole.
A Glimpse Into Your Future: As you spend time volunteering, you’ll begin to learn things about yourself that will help you choose your college major, and someday, your career. You could spend a week cashing people out at a thrift store, and the following week cleaning up an animal shelter, and realize you really prefer working in solitude. A few weekends at the hospital may reveal that while you’re completely into Grey’s Anatomy, seeing actual body fluids completely freaks you out, eliminating a chunk of your possible career paths. Consider what you like and what you don’t, and allow that information to influence your college decisions later.
Doing Some Good: Many people continue to volunteer through their adult lives because they love doing something good for society, and being able to see that good firsthand. While it’s great to send a check to an animal shelter, it feels completely different to be the one who cares for the animals there. By doing volunteer work, you get the chance to see the results up close, and that can be the best, most rewarding feeling in the world!
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How to Write About Your Leadership Roles on a Job Application or College Essay
“Describe any leadership roles you’ve held and the duties you’ve performed in your high school career. (200 words or less)”
Your fingers, which had been dancing across your key board at record pace as you cruise through your application, are suddenly motionless. 200 words? Are you kidding me? You couldn’t list all of the leadership roles you’ve held in that amount of space, let alone describe all of your responsibilities in complete sentences!
Being able to demonstrate the value of your experiences and duties is a very important skill you’ll need for the rest of your life. You may study abroad and be expected to give a fifteen minute presentation for your class when you return. Someday, you’ll be sitting at a job interview and will have to describe what you did at your last job. While you could probably spend hours talking about your trip to England, and use your entire interview session to detail everything you accomplished at your previous job, there’s always a cap on how much you can write and how much time you can take. Check out these tips on how you can effectively depict your leadership roles and responsibilities to a college admissions board or future employer.
Determine What’s Relevant
When you have a lot to talk about, start with what’s going to be the most impressive to the person reading your application. Which of your leadership roles will make the most sense to point out? If you’re an accounting major, it’s more important that you mention your position as treasurer of the economics club, than your role of head photographer for the yearbook club. While you’ll be inclined to write down everything you’ve ever done, sometimes less is more.
Determine What’s Recent
While winning your school’s writing award in 6th grade was awesome, it probably doesn’t have a place in your college/job application, even if it’s relevant to your major. The person reading your application is most concerned with your recent achievements. If you’re in high school, try to limit your application to your high school career. If you’re in college, limit your application to college.
Be Concise
Practice writing and talking about your leadership roles. How can you explain the responsibilities of that role within a few sentences? You probably won’t be able to discuss all of your duties, so stick to what you did most often, and what was most impressive. You don’t need to write down everything you have ever done in that position.
Focus on the Facts
When you discuss your responsibilities, try to incorporate hard facts. Instead of saying you planned a walk to raise money for cancer, you can say you planned a walk for cancer in which 1,300 people attended, and $5,000 was raised. Instead of saying you started an improv comedy group, say you started an improv comedy group that now has 42 members, and has put on fifteen shows. Including the numbers when you describe your leadership duties allows for the reader to understand the magnitude of your accomplishments.
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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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The High School Student Beginner’s Guide to Volunteer Work
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably been told volunteer work is something admissions boards look for on your college application. For some of you, volunteer work is something you’ve already had to do as part of an organization or for a student government class. You already know where you can log those hours! For others, volunteer work is something completely new.
If you’ve never volunteered before, and are not quite sure where to start, read on!
Why do colleges care if I volunteer?
As a high school student, there’s not a whole lot you can include on your resume just yet. You haven’t earned a degree. You have little-no work experience, and chances are, that work experience is a part-time job completely unrelated to what you want for your future career. So how can you show a potential college what kind of person you are and what you’re capable of? Volunteer work, extra-curricular activities, leadership roles, standardized test scores, sports involvement, GPAs, and your essay will all do their part in shaping who you are as an individual. There is no golden ticket for college admission, but anything that can make a statement about who you are, helps.
Where can I find out about volunteer work?
Finding potential places to volunteer can be an annoying process, especially if you’re unsure on where to look. Start off by talking to your guidance counselor. You may also want to look in newspapers, bulletin boards at your school, church, or town hall, or just by doing a Google search online. As to which places have been the most enjoyable to volunteer, you may want to ask around. Chances are, your classmates have had to volunteer as well, and could give you an honest review about what volunteering at a specific place is like.
At what type of places could I volunteer?
Volunteer work has something for everyone, no matter where your interests lie. If you pick something you have an interest in, you’re more likely to enjoy as well as take something away from your volunteer work. You may even be inspired to continue working within the same area in college. The following is a list of places that may need volunteers.
- Animal shelters
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
- Thrift stores
- Churches
- Scouts
- Benefits/Walks/Fundraisers
- Soup kitchens
- Homeless shelters
- Family shelters
- Environmental groups
- Libraries
- Community events
- Museums
- Zoos
- Clinics
- Mentor programs
How do I get involved?
No matter where you choose to volunteer, you probably won’t be turned down. Everyone could use some free help. If there isn’t a contact person meant for those interested in volunteering, you can start just by calling/emailing the company/organization.
How committed do I need to be?
Volunteer work can be fit around anyone’s schedule. There are some places, such as hospitals and animal shelters, may require a certain amount of training, followed by set hours to volunteer. Other places, such as soup kitchens, may allow you to come and go whenever you’re free without any training needed. You can volunteer as much or as little as you can.
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College Fair Collectables: What to Do With All That Information
You’ve returned from your first college fair. If you took advantage of the dozens of tables, collecting information and asking questions, you likely have a pile of handouts, brochures, pamphlets, notes, post-cards, flyers, magnets, key chains, coasters, business cards, and other bits of information and marketing gadgets. You may be feeling overwhelmed with everything you were given. You may have no idea where to begin. The following is a list of ways you can best use that pile to push you further into making that decision on where to apply for college.
Categorize
One way you can begin digging through all of the information you’ve picked up is to categorize everything. You can separate them by places you’re interested in and places you probably won’t be interested in, or by places you know a lot about and places you know little about. By splitting up the information into categorizes, you can have a better grasp on what it is you’ve actually picked up, and where you are in your college search.
Look at the Pictures
The information you receive will likely have pictures of the campus on it. Take time to actually look at these pictures. While a picture of the campus can’t make up for a real visitation, you can still tell a lot from the picture. Does this look like a place you could call home, or does it look scary? Do you find the campus attractive? Can you see yourself there?
Read the Majors List
You were likely given for many of the colleges a list of majors you could pursue at that college. Look at what the different colleges offer. What kind of school is this? You can often tell just by looking at the majors a little about that school’s culture. A technical school will probably have a higher value on sciences as opposed to a liberal arts school.
Re-Read Your Notes
If you took notes during the college fair, re-read them, while looking at the materials associated with the colleges you wrote about. This will allow you to get a more conceptualized idea of the different institutions.
Weed Some Out
There are some colleges you’ll know from the very start that you’re uninterested. While you may want to look over the material for these schools, just to be sure you haven’t missed something really great, you can start creating a pile of places you don’t want to attend based on whatever reason. Be sure to take note as to why you’re uninterested in these schools, as this is part of the process of narrowing down your perfect college match.
Hit the Web
Whatever you’ve received at the college fair, there’s more of it online. By going to the web sites of the schools you’re interested in, you can answer your own questions, get more information, and possibly continue to narrow down your search.
Make Contact
If you want to set up a college visit, talk to an advisor, shadow a student, or just get more information, there’s likely a business card for someone who can help you do that. Don’t be afraid to send them a quick email or give them a call. That’s their job!
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