A great tropical getaway can do wonders for breaking up the doldrums of winter and giving you a renewed sense of spirit that helps get you by until the warmer days of summer. There are some great locations, many offering competitive rates and family-friendly options, to consider when seeking some respite from the cold.
Consider these rejuvenating destinations. (more…)
If you’re heading off to college in September, you’ve probably already started packing for college, but there’s something you might easily forget. It’s the documentation you’ll need to quickly and easily earn credit for any coursework you completed, or for AP tests you took. Colleges are pretty bureaucratic by nature and if you don’t have your paperwork ready or your documentation submitted online, you could be in for some hassles. Whether you are a transfer student or an incoming freshman, here are some steps you can take to avoid frustration and delays:
Taking freshman college courses during the summer before college can be a very good idea. Here are just a few reasons to consider it:
1) It’s a good way to reduce the stress of your freshman college year. If you can knock off only one of your required freshman college courses by taking a course online or at a local college, you can clear your schedule and your mind for freshman year.
2) You can use summer courses to prepare for freshman college courses that you will take in September. If you will have to take a writing course, for example, why not take one during the summer before college as a trial run? It’s a smart way increase your odds of success in September when the course will really “count.”
3) You can explore possible majors. If you’re thinking of majoring in business, accounting, pre-med or another specific subject area, taking courses in those areas can be a reduced-risk way to help you make up your mind. (And possibly avoid being one of those students who changes majors two or three times.)
4) You can prepare for placement exams once you arrive in college. If you take a summer course in math or a language, for example, you might be able to place out of freshman college courses and move ahead.
5) You can build yourself up in weak areas. Let’s face it – we all have them. Maybe you secretly know you are a slow reader, or that you have forgotten most of the algebra you learned when you were in ninth grade. If so, taking review classes can be a great way to build a foundation for success during your summer before college.
There are a lot of reasons to take freshman college courses the summer before college. Did I miss one? Please leave a comment.
Today, bloggers across the country will unite for Japan disaster relief. Below is the article we’ve prepared, but be sure to check out the Bloggers Unite event website as well. All donations made through this event will be matched by the Ogawa family.
When I first sat down to write this post, I was all prepared to write about how to plan a fundraiser to generate funds for the relief agencies that are providing direct aid to the people of Japan. I had even come up with a few, what I considered to be, rather clever ideas for these fundraisers. But as I started to write those ideas down, I began to think of all the students who don’t have the time or resources that would be required. I found my thoughts turning to the images of the people of Japan that I have seen over this past month - not the pictures of incredible devastation, but the images of resilience and kindness that these people have managed to hold on to, in spite of their world being washed out from beneath them. I began to wonder if there wasn’t something much simpler and more long-lasting that students - and everyone else - can do to help in this situation and many others.
Photo by Peter Mottola
Most every college or university in America has a number of required college courses that you have to take in order to graduate. I think that’s a good thing because many students discover a potential major in required freshman college courses. Plus, required courses certify that your education stands for something. When you start to look for a job after you graduate, potential employers know that you have certain competencies they can count on.
However…..I believe there are other courses – many not required in core college curriculums – that people ought to consider when they ask the question, “Which classes should I take in college?”. Here are just a few:
