Wednesday’s Parent: College and career game plan

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College and career game plan. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

College and career game plan. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Emphasizing student goals during the college search process is the working backwards approach I described in my article, 2 opposite ways of nailing the college search. For those who are certain of their career plans or at least what they want to do first, this method to prioritize student objectives can help them find colleges that best prepare them for grad school or the work place.

When researching schools, concentrate on what they offer in and out of the classroom. Learning opportunities include formal in classroom and informal out of the classroom options. Consider academic majors and classes, mentorships, internships, service learning, study abroad, co-ops, club memberships, community service, research programs, and other work experiences. Also, think about what the schools emphasize and how their graduates fare.

As time passes during the college process, to stay focused on objectives, periodically measure choices against goals for a personal college and career game plan. It’s okay to revise goals but don’t forget to reassess college choices accordingly. The ultimate aim is to graduate on time to minimize college costs while gaining valuable knowledge to enter the job market and begin a self-supporting adult life.

Read Suzanne’s post: Consider a Career Focused College

Read more:

Answer this, then apply to college

What’s the right college for me, Mrs. Robinson?

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Suzanne Shaffer and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

Suzanne @SuzanneShaffer and I @pocsmom will host Twitter chat #CampusChat on Wednesday, October 28 at 9pm ET/6pm PT. Our guest this week is Lisa Nobel @Noblecareerguru a career coach for high school and college grads and former former marketing exec. Please join us with your questions and comments.

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from www.pocsmom.com to http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/ and vice versa.

Scholarship Mom Alert: Students with Disabilities

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Scholarships for students with disabilities. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Scholarships for students with disabilities. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Searching for scholarships to help pay for college is a time-consuming task for all students. For those with disabilities, there is a “fantastic resource” available according to College Scholarship Expert Monica L. Matthews. It’s about finding a scholarship program that matches a student’s unique situation and the source Monica has located makes it easy.

Read the important guest post from ACLS Medical Training on Monica’s website for a list of where to find scholarships for students with disabilities. The listing is separated into categories. Take the first step to search for a disability scholarship here:

College Scholarships for Students with Disabilities

Good Luck to all applicants!!!

Wednesday’s Parent: Productive emotion convos

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Emotions run high during the college process. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Emotions run high during the college process. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Nagging and bickering are common discourse between parents and their college-bound during the tumultuous teen years. These unpleasant conversations are often ineffective and frustrating for every family member and they can set a disagreeable tone for parent-adult child communications. There are productive conversations that parents can start now and it begins with teaching emotional skills.

Emotions are running high on both sides from plenty of unknowns to fear including costs, test prep, and college choice. When students head off to college, there is a campus world filled with uncharted territory and unfamiliar faces. The problem is without awareness, emotions can override common sense.

College parent coach Suzanne Shaffer has put together a list of great parenting tips to prepare students for the “emotions of college.” The bonus is these suggestions will grow children’s confidence in and ability to make good decisions. This is something both parents and students can benefit from. Read Suzanne’s perceptive post:

Prepping Your Student for the Emotions of College

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Suzanne Shaffer and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Suzanne and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from www.pocsmom.com to http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/ and vice versa.

Scholarship Mom Alert: HotelsCheap Scholarship Program

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Scholarship money, be in it to win it. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Scholarship money, be in it to win it. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

If you need money to help pay for college and are committed to earning a college degree, check out the scholarship program offered by HotelsCheap.org. There are two scholarships and one of them has an October deadline. Both are looking for students who best answer their four essay questions.

To increase chances for winning, College Scholarship Expert Monica L. Matthews is providing her Winning Tips along with key scholarship details. Read her post and apply:

HotelsCheap College Scholarship

Good Luck to all applicants!!!

Scholarship Mom Alert: Future Engineers Scholarship Program

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Scholarships for current college students. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Scholarships for current college students. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

If your college-bound student is in the habit of applying for scholarships, consider it a big bonus. That’s because the practice doesn’t end with a college acceptance. There are scholarships specifically for current college students. This is wonderful news for families because college costs often rise each year of attendance, making it difficult to hone in on exact expenses amounts.

College Scholarship Expert Monica L. Matthews is featuring a scholarship for current college sophomores and juniors who are pursuing a degree in the field of engineering. Monica explains the specific application guidelines along with her wonderful “Winning Tips.” Also, heed her warning to apply ASAP before the school work load increases. Read and follow scholarship expert Monica’s advice in her post:

Future Engineers College Scholarship

Good Luck to all applicants!!!

Wednesday’s Parent: 3 step college prep back to school plan

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Time for back to school tips. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Time for back to school tips. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

There are many things to master when preparing for college. Students have to hone their test taking skills, college and scholarship searches, essay writing, and qualifications for college applications. Parents focus on helping their children accomplish all this while learning all they can about college finance. Families can use the new school year as a fresh start to tackle the college process. Here is a three part plan that works:

Be a dreamer first. It’s always a good idea to begin with some quiet introspection and self-analysis. Brainstorm hopes and dreams and begin to set short and long term goals. Be prepared to update these because minds can change over time.

Get practical second. Taking action leads to a sense of accomplishment and realistic expectations. The parent-student team can work together to list student skills and achievements. They will show strengths to enhance and weaknesses to address when compared to individual college admission requirements and personal goals.

Third, always have a Plan B. Give each task 100 percent effort or reschedule when this is doable to maximize chances of success. Even so, life doesn’t come with guarantees and neither does the college admission process. Being able to adjust, adapt and modify plans is a life skill so take five when stressed to regain perspective, count blessings and make lemonade from lemons.

College prep may seem endless but many parents believe the college years fly by in the blink of an eye. Soon enough the adult-child relationship will morph into an adult-adult child relationship so keep communication open and honest and include some fun to enjoy each day.

Read Suzanne’s post: A Day in the Life of a College-Bound Parent

Read more: How to participate in a twitter chat 

Parent role in higher education preparation

Wednesday’s Parent: College prep red flags

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Suzanne Shaffer and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

Suzanne @SuzanneShaffer and I @pocsmom will host Twitter chat #CampusChat on Wednesday, August 26 at 9pm ET/6pm PT. Our guests this week are a Back to School panel of eight experts. Please join us with your questions and comments. 

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from www.pocsmom.com to http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/ and vice versa.

Scholarship Mom Alert: Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship

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Not texting and driving can lead to college $. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Not texting and driving can lead to college $. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

It’s a given; parents worry about their children. As they get bigger, so do the issues they face. If there is anything that can help reduce the risks as they grow, it merits close attention. Here’s a suggestion that can also lead to money for college.

Last month College Scholarship Expert Monica L. Matthews found The Zebra Safe Driver Scholarship that combined awareness of the risks of texting while driving with a college scholarship contest. This month, Monica is adding the Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship which has a similar goal but requires a tweet length writing rather than a longer essay for the first part of the application. Later, the selected finalists will get their chance to write an essay.

Many of the college-bound’s hands seem to be glued to their mobile phones wherever they are and whatever else they are doing. The texting while driving risk is there even for students who won’t have a car on campus. They can borrow a friend’s car or use the family auto when they are home. Many college campuses make it easy for students to rent a vehicle for long or short trips.

Let your child know about the scholarships available that can keep the issue of safe driving fresh in their minds. Read Monica’s post containing the application details and her Winning Tips in:

Don’t Text and Drive College Scholarship

Good Luck to all applicants!!!

Scholarship Mom Alert: Last minute scholarships

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Time to apply for college scholarships. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Time to apply for college scholarships. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Timing plays a key role in the college scholarship application process. From the time consuming task of finding them to the extra effort to meet deadlines, time is always ticking away. College Scholarship Expert Monica L. Matthews has saved students some valuable hours by compiling a list of scholarships with late summer and early fall deadlines. Get started immediately by going to her post now:

College Scholarships with Late Summer/Early Fall Deadlines

Time budgeting is key for busy college-bound teens. Thanks Monica for jump starting the scholarship search process so students can begin applying now!

Good Luck to all applicants!!!

Wednesday’s Parent: The college-bound good-bye perspective

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Screen Shot 2015-08-11 at 1.05.02 PMGoogling goodbye songs and movies show the topic of farewell is a central part of the human condition. Parents of college students have vivid memories of dropping their kids off and parents of the college-bound are gritting their teeth for their fast-approaching turn. Fortunately, there are steps parents can take now to help themselves and their students get through the goodbye process and the subsequent adjustment.

Start by reading college parenting expert Suzanne Shaffer’s wise words in her post, Saying Goodbye to Your College Bound Teen. Suzanne captures the range of emotions to anticipate and what to do to set families up for a successful parent-adult child separation.

Remember too that all occupants of the home will be affected by the absence of the student. Siblings and pets have their own issues. New activities and keeping the communication flowing can help other children. The bright side is parents now have more time to spend with them until they morph into adult children, too.

Read Suzanne’s post: Saying Goodbye to Your College Bound Teen

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Suzanne Shaffer and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Suzanne and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from www.pocsmom.com to http://www.parentscountdowntocollegecoach.com/ and vice versa.

Scholarship Mom Alert: CareerFitter Online Scholarship

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Essay for college, career, scholarship. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

Essay for college, career, scholarship. Photo by Wendy David-Gaines

“Find your purpose and be successful in work you enjoy.” This great advice for the college-bound is found on a CareerFitter.com video for an online college scholarship the company is sponsoring. Watch the video explain how their career assessment product can reveal one’s work personality, strengths and style to finding a good-fitting job. Then relate this to finding a good college fit.

College Scholarship Expert Monica L. Matthews provides the details for applying to the scholarship from CareerFitter.com along with her Winning Tips to enhance your application. Read Monica’s post:

CareerFitter College Scholarship

Pay close attention to her advice because writing the required essay necessitates the kind of introspection that can also help students decide which school has the programs that can best help them realize their college dreams.

Good Luck to all applicants!!!