Top 7 Mistakes Students Make on their College Applications

November 30, 2007 by The Digital Student / One Comment

Do you want to get into that college of your dreams? Then don’t screw up the opportunity to shine. Here’s what you want to avoid when you’re filling out that college application.

1. You include grammatical and spelling errors. Keep in mind that the admissions counselors has this packet of paper on front of them and this is how you’re presenting yourself. Review your credentials carefully and have someone proofread it to ensure that you don’t overlook anything.

2. You forgot to sign the documents. It’s another way to make a bad impression. If you’re not meticulous enough, you’ll certainly lose points with the person reviewing your app.

3. You didn’t read properly. Don’t misunderstand what is being asked. If it says “Last Name, First Name,” don’t fill out the form with your first name preceding your last name. Don’t say you live in the United States when it asks which county you reside in.

4. Illegible handwriting. Come on, this is your application to enter the schools of your dreams! Don’t make it more difficult for the admissions counselor who has to wade through tens of thousands of applications. Better yet, if you can get ahold of a typewriter or apply online, do it.

5. Not submitting your application online. Since college applications are a long process and cannot be completed after just an hour, you may want to save your changes and revisit the app several times, getting your content reviewed in the process. Make sure that when everything is said and the book is sealed that you actually submit your application! It’s one thing to save it; it’s another thing to ensure that it was sent.

6. Using an inappropriate email address. Just like you want to be a little careful when you present yourself online, so too you want to ensure your email address is of a professional nature. If you include too many sixty nines or four twenties, you may not score brownie points (even if they contain… oh, nevermind) with the people who will review your application.

7. Having someone else write your college application. Okay, seriously. If you’re going to delegate part of your application to a friend and part to a family member and you two have grossly different styles of writing, you can expect to be rejected without reconsideration. It is obvious when someone else writes your college application if the voice changes. Do it yourself. You’ll likely have to work on your own for at least part of college, so it helps to prepare now when the answers are all about you. (Trust me, this is a lot easier than your final exams.)

Take the application process seriously. It’s a little tough, there’s a lot of information, but you’ll be a lot more confident about your decision when you’ve gotten it out of the way. Remember, this is it, and many colleges bypass the interview almost entirely.

Top 11 Reasons Why Students Drop out of College

November 23, 2007 by The Digital Student / 365 Comments

What do you think are the reasons why high school students make it — but stop there? College is a whole four years, but not everyone goes through with it. What holds them back?

We looked at several sources on the Internet and found that these are the main contributing factors:

1. Homesickness and feeling that you don’t fit in. It’s a whole new world out there, and you may not be ready to embrace it.
2. Educational burnout. While college gives you control and flexibility over your schedule, the hard demanding schedule, challenging courses, and boatload of homework certainly has turned a lot of students away from the desire to continue.
3. Academic unpreparedness. Sometimes, high school didn’t really prepare students for college. Other times, students slacked off in high school and paid the price during their post-secondary years. The high school goal was to pass (so that students could get into college); in college, it is to succeed.
4. Personal or family issues. You may have had an unfortunate illness in the family or you yourself just got totally get stressed out from the workload.
5. Financial constraints. Tuition costs continue to soar, and scholarships or grants are not always available. Additionally, financial situations can change from year to year.
6. Too much fun — but not enough education. Some students take advantage of their friendships, which could put them on academic probation due to suffering grades or absence in classes.
7. The school isn’t a good academic fit for the student. You’ve selected a great school that is very arts-centric. However, you realize that you like the sciences better. Similarly, you may hate the average class size of 100 and prefer much smaller classes for more individualized attention.
8. Setting sights on the wrong major. You may have wanted to be a doctor but after taking several science classes, you decided that you’re rather go into marketing. Does your school have a marketing major? If not, you’re likely to go elsewhere.
9. No guidance or mentors. In high school, teachers and counselors were there to guide you, as high school classes are typically smaller than the entering freshman class. It’s a lot harder to get the personalized attention that you’ve been used to and that could turn people off quickly.
10. External demands, particularly within part time or full time employment. Can we say Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook? When the job puts too many demands on you, you may have to choose, and money usually wins out.
11. Time to move out. If the cold winter just doesn’t suit you, you may decide to go elsewhere. You may want to go closer to home or to be closer to a significant other.

Why have your peers dropped out of college?

Goal Setting for College Success

November 20, 2007 by The Digital Student / 0 Comments

What’s your mission? What do you want from your life? As soon as you determine the answer, you can get started on setting goals for the ultimate college achievements.

Let’s outline what you need to do to get started. Ask yourself these questions:

What are my values?
What interests me?

Your values are the most important things to you such as principles and beliefs. Is it family? The desire to pursue medicine? You already should have a few strong ideas in your mind. Similarly, look at what you enjoy doing. Look at the skills you’ve gained both inside and outside the classroom, including part time work experience. Make the connection between these experiences and your core beliefs.

Now start setting goals. Write down reasonable goals that both work for the short-term and long-term. Take a piece of paper and write all the steps required to reach that goal, from start to finish. Keep reviewing your actions to keep yourself motivated.

Finally, do some research: what do you want to be when you grow up? Or, if you don’t know, what is your dream job? Learn how people with your job got to where they are: learn what skills are necessary, what the salary is, the work conditions, and anything related to the job at hand. Can you envision yourself in that position? If so, you have just set for yourself a goal.

Remember, life is worth living, so enjoy it too while you’re aiming for the stars.

How To Beat the Freshman 15

November 8, 2007 by The Digital Student / 17 Comments

I’m sure you’ve heard about — or lived through — the freshman 15. This is the rumored first year of college where freshman pack on approximately 15 pounds in their first year. Is it real? As a victim, I’m said to say that yes, it is. Studies have also shown that students are likely to pack on an incredible amount of weight throughout college — not only are you vulnerable during your first year.

Why the weight gain? Let’s tackle this obvious question first. For many, college is the first time you’re not under mom and dad’s watch and there are a lot of temptations in the way. Student meal plans often afford unlimited meals or snack points, so you’re often eating food when you don’t even realize it. Additionally, college can be stressful, and an easy way to deal with stress can be to chow down on some chocolate or something yummy.

Beware of the dangers: Temptations and freedom come at a cost. Weight gain can puts you at risk for diabetes and can give you high blood pressure, high cholesterol, less energy, breathlessness, and joint pain/problems. It’s especially difficult to get out of this slump if you’re already somewhat overweight — and this can put you in heart disease or obesity territory.

Avoid the problem: As much as you may hate your servings of fruits and vegetables, if you’re studying and need a snack, add carrots to the mix. Drink water — lots of it. Evaluate your eating and exercise habits and make adjustments. If you live on a big campus, walk to class and don’t take the shuttle bus. Cut some snacks and be cognizant of your food intake. Many times, you’re eating food without realizing it, and that extra 200 calories is totally not worth the hassle.

You can also attempt these other tried and true techniques to avoid the problem:

• Don’t eat while stressed out. If you must have something, drink water.
• Eat slowly and enjoy your food! You have no idea how much of a difference it makes to actually pay attention to what you’re consuming. Studies show that individuals who were forced to rush their food intake eat approximately 170 calories than those who actually sit down and take their time.
• Don’t skip meals. Chances are, the healthiest food is available during campus dining hours. You don’t want the dining room to be closed and then relegate to the Mars bar. It’s not worth it.
• Don’t snack — but if you do, go with the healthy stuff and a bottle of water.
• Where you can, take the low-fat options. The taste is usually not that much different.
• Ignore the temptations for the vending machines! Sure, it may be cheaper than your local grocery store, but it’s a trap.

I’ll talk about some good diet options in future columns on the blog, but if you’re concerned, seek out friendship and motivate yourself to fix the weight problem with your peers. There are a lot of students who have the same concerns as you do. Just be open about it. You may want to also speak with your campus doctor for health options. Also, take advantage of the campus gym — it’s almost always free to students. Finally, get enough sleep. As tempting as the all-nighters sound, it adds to the stress that contributes to overeating.

The weight gain is almost inevitable during the college years, but with a few changes in your lifestyle and a bit of discipline, you can overcome this obstacle and keep yourself incredibly fit during your school years.