Thursday, October 30, 2008

Upromise

Check out Upromise.

By becoming a member, everyday purchases from retailers, restaurants, grocery stores, drug stores and many other services, you can accumulate money for college.

Some of their partners are popular brand names like L.L. Bean, Citi, Target, Bloomingdale's and hundreds of others.

Membership is FREE and why not take advantage of rewards?

Tax Credits

Both the HOPE scholarship and the Lifetime Learning Credits are ways to save money when you file your tax returns. The HOPE scholarship isn't a scholarship in the true sense of the word, but rather a tax credit which is available to eligible students in their first two years of post secondary (after high school).

The Lifetime Learning Credit is for college juniors, seniors, graduate students and working Americans pursuing lifelong learning to upgrade their skills.

Once you have completed all of your education, the interest that you pay on any student loans for undergraduate and/or graduate studies can be used for a maximum deduction of $2,500. You need to be mindful of time limits that dictate your eligibility.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

To My Students

Class will meet in the Career/Transfer Center today.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

EUREKA (Scholarship Resource)

If your college has the EUREKA program, please check it out. It is a good place to find scholarships.

At the College of the Desert, there are about twelve computers in the Career/Transfer Center that have the program. It is updated every year so the information is pretty current.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Remember Your ABC's

Accept responsibility for your life.

Build bridges between yourself and others.

Commit yourself to excellence.

School Soup

Over a year ago, I discovered the School Soup site for scholarships and it has become my favorite. Not only does it have 32 Billion Dollars in scholarships, but it has a bookstore.

If you are already in college, you know that textbooks are very expensive. You will be able to save 70 to 80 dollars a semster if you buy your books online.

Making money is a must, but just as important is learning how to save. Buying used books through www.schoolsoup.com and selling the books back at the end of the quarter or semster is the sensible thing to do.

Monday, October 13, 2008

For My Students

We will have class in the Career/Transfer Center tomorrow. See you then. Eve-Marie

Everything Has a Price Tag

"You can have nearly anything you can dream of . . . the reality though is that everything has a price tag. Are you willing to pay it?"

--Will Keim

Are You Getting Your Money's Worth?

How many of you have signed up for classes and then chose not to attend on a regular basis? Did it occur to you that you are throwing money away?

It always baffles me when students apply to a college because they don't know what else to do. More often than I like to hear, students will tell me that they are not really into school.

Why go to a place you do not like? Why pay tuition, fees, and buy expensive books and then refuse to go to class or study? Do you have the answer? I'd love to hear from you.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Keep a Journal of Positives

We all seem to focus on what is not going right instead of the good things that come our way everyday. I have found that by keeping a POSTIVES JOURNAL and being thankful for every little thing, that I am a much happier person.

In my journal, I include notes that I have received from students and pictures that my grandchildren have drawn for me. I write about anything that has moved me in a positive way. On days when my spirits are down (not very often), I refer to my journal and am reminded again how fortunate I am to be alive.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Change One Thing

Has writing your personal statement opened the door to reflecting on your life? Is there a part of your day to day living that isn't working for you? Is there one thing that you can change that would improve a relationship, your work, your studies or your attitude in general?

Remember you cannot change anyone, but you can change the way YOU react to others. Think about it. Is there something that is getting in the way of your moving forward successfully? You CAN do something about it

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Phone Call from Dr. Keim

The day before yesterday I had the privilege of talking to Will Keim. I am attempting to have him speak at the COD orientation. My understanding from a counseling colleague, who has heard him speak, is that he talks of serious topics with great humor.

Since my first days of teaching college success classes, I have been keenly aware that the most important topic of character is not being taught. Is it any wonder that many people in high places do not conduct their lives with integrity?

I encourage you to read his books and other authors who write about character.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Education of Character

About twelve or thirteen years ago I discovered a book by Dr. Will Keim titled The Education of Character. I was so impressed by the content that I actually used this tiny little jewel as a textbook for the college success class that I taught.

It is so evident that this very important subject is no longer taught in school. Ask a young person for a definition of integrity, ethics and honesty and you get a glazed look. Why has such an important topic been eliminated from our schools?

Recently, I went online to see if Dr. Keim had written any other books and happily found some other titles by Dr. Keim. I'd like top share them with you. The following are a few that you might consider reading:
The Keys to Success in College and Life
The Truth About College (50 Lessons for Parents)
Life After College

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Your Character

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

--John Wooden

"Education worthy of the name is essentially the education of character."

--Martin Buber

An Education

"If you think the price of education is expensive, try the price of ignorance. You pay for ignorance everyday for the rest of your life."

--Anonymous

Monday, October 6, 2008

Winning

"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up."

--Vince Lombardi

Scholarships for Women

Several current scholarships for women are Soroptimist, The Girl Friend Factor and AARP. You can access them through Google.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Privacy

"When it comes to privacy and accountablity, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else."

--David Brin (American Science Fiction Writer 1950)

FASTWEB

Recently, I browsed the FASTWEB website and signed in as a potential subscriber. The profile questionnaire has been expanded to include information that might be of value to FASTWEB sponsors. Many organizations will pay to have your personal information, thus allowing FASTWEB to provide many FREE valuable services to students. To a great extent the information might benefit the student, but should you want to maintain privacy. be sure to click 'NO THANK YOU" when completing your profile.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Research

"What is research but a blind date with knowledge."

--Unknown

Surfing the Internet

In the last several years, there has been a rapid growth of websites offering scholarships and grants. This method of searching and applying for college money saves time and postage

Several of the websites require that you complete a profile that includes, in addition to you name, address and email: your major and/or career goals, special interests, ethnic background, and grade point average. This information is stored in their database for possible matches.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

On Saving Money

"The mint makes it first, it is up to you to make it last."

--Evan Esar (1899-1995)

Scholarships Are Your Best Bet

If a college education is a part of your dream, scholarships are the answer. It is obvious that the financial situation in our country is looking very bleak. Students who would look to student loans as a backup plan may not have that option.

As many organizations start feeling the financial crunch, the available scholarship funds may become more competitive. The time is now to be serious about your scholarship search. I urge juniors in high school to start their research. Talk to your classmates and encourage them to become proactive about funding their future tuition needs.