$11 Billion in Scholarships

Several weeks ago I was giving a presentation to a group of high school students in Atlanta, Georgia. After my presentation I had several students come up and asked questions. I love this part of my job because it shows me three things:

1. They were really paying attention
2. They are actually interested in their future
3. I really gave them something to think about

Out of all the questions that was asked, one stood out like a sore thumb. A young lady asked me if she needed a certain grade point average (GPA) to get a scholarship. That really bugged me because I couldn't give her a concrete answer.

I thought about as I drove back to my office. Once inside, as always I got on the internet and checked emails, checked all my phone messages, checked my posts in Facebook, checked to see who sent me a DM in Twitter, and checked to see if I had any new request in LinkedIn. However, after that I went on intense search to see if you needed a certain GPA to get a merit-based scholarship.

I came across this site http://www.meritaid.com, and I thought that this was such a great resource that I needed to share it. Right on the home page "$11 Billion...," now that alot of money. People today are talking about nothing but the recession. If that's all you are focusing on, then you are missing out on millions of opportunities. You constantly hear about cut backs in education, however, $11 Billion is still substantial.

Once I got on the site, I created my own profile and within minutes I had over 200 colleges/universities offering merit-based scholarships. This site is full of tools and resources that can not only help you get into college, but it also allows colleges to find you. Be sure to complete your profile. This is important because schools are looking for certain students. For example, I went to school on a full track & field scholarship (athletics), however, my cousin went to school on a full nursing scholarship (academic).

Now, you do need to make the grade, but you will be surprised to find what schools are willing to do if you are a perfect match for them. Go to http://www.meritaid.com and pick a state. This site will give you all the details about any school in that state that has a scholarship to offer. They even tell you how many are available.

I recommend this site for student who are planning on attending college, already in college and those pursuing advanced degrees. Again, check it out and make sure you leave me a comment on what you thought about it. We'll talk soon.

My Top 10 Good Study Habits

You have been schooled about good study habits since you began school, somewhere around kindergarten. If you ask anyone what are the top 10 good study habits, you will get at least 5 - 7 answers that are the same. Depending on who you ask they may vary slightly.

I started forming good study habits when I was a student-athlete. Its not that I didn't have them before, it"s just that school came easy to me and my time was not stretch. As a student-athlete "YOUR" time is very valuable because everyone else gets a piece of it. You represent the university, the athletic program, the coaches, the alumni and somewhere way down at the bottom, there's you. Not that it's a bad thing, its just very hard to get some "ME" time. So I hope these 10 habits can help you like they helped me.

1. Study in a non-distracting place. At times this is going to be very difficult to do. If you have younger siblings, the house is never quite. If you go to the library, you'd be surprised to find that the library is not actually quite. So, find a space that works for you. Somewhere will you will not find yourself constantly looking around at what's going on.
2. Lighting. My friends call me "Mole-Woman." Mainly because I like my lighting very dim. When I was growing up my mom used to always say, "Cut the light off when you exit the room." Or, "That TV doesn't need to watch the room, cut it off." So, in my adult years, old habits die hard. Ask my kids I say the same thing. So, study somewhere bright because it will keep you alert and away from being to relaxed, which may make you sleepy.
3. Background noise. This is the one that people argue back and forth about. Some people say it needs to be absolutely quiet. Others say, you need just a little something to keep you alert. Most people agree that the TV should be off, but not all agree about the radio. I say, "Know thyself." For me I needed the radio. If I could hear the words of the song, then it was too loud. If jazz music makes you sleepy, don't play that station. Rock, rap, you get the idea. You need to be excited about what you are studying, not what's on the radio.
   
4. Get organized. You've heard that saying, "A cluttered desk means a cluttered mind." Clear you desk! Always prepare to study. Get all the "stuff" you need. Things like pencils, pens, colored pencils, highlighters, paper, books, etc. You know what you need, get it all for all subjects before you sit down and begin. Getting up and down to get things can be a huge distraction.
5. Routine - Study at same time everyday. I like this one best. My student-athletes should be able to relate very well to this one. You practice everyday at the same time. You are conditioning your body for a particular sport. You are practicing to be perfect (I have some words on this cliche but we'll go with it for now, that's another blog). So, if you are working your body, why not work the mind. Children are an excellent at this display of routine. Take my 4 year old and my 1 year old. You can tell when 8:30 pm is very near. That's the time they go to bed. Wherever they are a banquet, the car, a friends house, whatever, they are droopy around 8:30 pm. Anything after that, if they are still awake then they are grumpy. Routine, routine, routine get one for your studying.
6. Set goals. This is good because I know too many students who like to study all at once. When you have several classes this is very difficult. Your teacher usually gives you a schedule on tests, quizzes, etc, unless it's a pop quiz and those do POP up from time to time. If you get a routine on what you will study, then you will find that you will learn more. Don't save all the studying for the test that's tomorrow. Break it up in chucks. Study that week. Sometimes studying is simply going over the material over and over again. That's when it sticks, not when you cram. If there is a test on Friday, start studying on Monday in sections. You'll learn more and it will stick with you.
7. Know when to quit. OK, if you are falling asleep in your books, QUIT. If you are yawning and you keep reading the same line over and over, QUIT. If you space out and say to yourself, "what was I just doing," QUIT. You get nothing accomplished if you repeat, get brain freeze or simply fall asleep. All you get is frustration. QUIT while you're ahead. Don't take a chance on forgetting what you already know because you were trying to squeeze in more information.
8. Study breaks. Know when to take them. Get up and get some water, its better than coffee. Get up and go to the bathroom, stop holding it because then you mind is on that and not your studies. Simply stand up and stretch for 60 seconds, you feel more refreshed. The point here is not to overwhelm yourself. You're not going to miss anything if you remove yourself from your study corner for just a minute or two. That's simply undo stress, stay away from that.
9. Repetition. Whatever you are studying, you can't just look at one time and think you know it. You have to go over it again and again. Whatever particular chuck of information you are studying needs attention. If you were doing a chapter review in History. You went through the 12 questions in 20 minutes; do you think you know it? Can someone ask you a question and you can retrieve the answer from your brain? I don't think so. My 7th grader tells me all the time, Mom I got it. But when I ask him a question he doesn't. So, I make him write the questions and answers, because he needs to see it. I make him read it and answer it aloud, because he needs to hear it. We take break but we get back to it. We simply extend his 20 minutes to an hour, and then he gets it.
10. Commitment. Be committed. School can be easy if you are committed. Think of the many things you like to do, go shopping, playing your Nintendo DS, uploading pictures to your Myspace, posting to the wall in Facebook, talking on the phone and just simply having fun. If you broke up some of that time and gave 2 - 3 hours to school, you'd see a tremendous increase in grades. Try it! Commit for just one quarter/semester. For my student-athletes, you already know what commitment is all about. Represent yourself well by taking that time in school to make the grade.

I hope this helps some of you out there. These are the things that I did and it got my through. I attended the University of Illinois on a full track & field scholarship and then I went back to school to get a degree in Music Business Management at the Art Institute of Atlanta. I own several businesses in the Atlanta area and I'm a mother or 4. Trust me without applying these things today; even though it's not for school, I still have to make it happen. Life becomes a little more challenging when you leave school and we still have the same 24 hours in a day. Make school fun because it actually is. Until next time.

Free Money for College

Over the past week I've been busy speaking with high schoolers getting ready for college. Some have truly amazed me by the questions they have asked. So I said to myself, if they have these question surely others must have them as well.

For my seniors, the end of the year is coming fast. You have already taken pictures, picked out rings and hopefully signed and returned some college applications. However, you may still be asking, "How in the world am I going to pay for this education." If your parents are taking care of it, that's great, but you can still help. There are many of private foundations and organizations that are still giving money for scholarships. I have seen several that are giving out between $500 and $15,000, with deadlines as late as June.

For my juniors, start racking up now. You don't have to wait until you are a senior. Start your own scholarship fund. By now you should have picked your top 5 schools that are you are interested in attending. Deadlines are coming up and things will have to be in place come next fall. So why not know where some of your money is coming from. It's never to early to shop around.

Now although this is free money, it's a merit based scholarship. What does that mean? You have to do something in order to get it. It takes more than filling out an application. You may have to put some thought into acquiring merit based scholarships. As a former student-athlete I received a merit based scholarship. It was in track & field, which means, I have to participate at a high level and maintain grades in order to keep the scholarship. And in exchange, I could save thousands of dollars. So, that's what I did. Also, just as a chicken nugget on the side, always put your best foot forward.

So, where can you find some money to go to school? Go to www.fastweb.com. Fill out the entire profile. This will allow you to get notices of scholarships, internships, etc. that best fit YOU. Do well in your studies and you could find yourself getting renewable scholarships.

I asked a group of students last Friday how many of them have good study habits. Only 3 raised their hands. So then I rephrased the question and asked how many of they know what a good study habit is. Then no one raised their hand. So here's what I decided to do. On Monday morning I will post the top "10 Good Study Habits." This should help you increase your grades even though the year is almost over and set you up for your next school year no matter what grade you are entering.

I also want you guys to comment on fastweb. com. Let me know you put your profile out there and see how it's working for you. Have a great week.

It's Not Over til It's Over

Here we are March 2009. For most of us we are approaching the last month of the first quarter. However, for many students across the country they are approaching the 4th quarter.

Since January 2009, I have spoken to approximately 5,600+ students in the state of Georgia. By the time this quarter is actually over it will be closer to almost 7,000. Some of them know what they'll be doing come this fall, some of them are a little shaky as to what they will be doing and others are totally clueless. Here's where I step in and say, "it's not over until it's over."

For those of you who know what college you are going to, I say "Great, Bravo!" For those of you who are unclear, I say, "We can still get it done." Why am I so confident? What do I know that you don't? Nothing! The difference between me and you is , I have the confidence that you may not.

So, what do you do. First let's take a look at where you stand right now. On Monday morning go to your counselor and see where you are grade wise. Are you right on target? Have you taken all the necessary classes? Do you have the passing grade? If not, it's time to correct all or any or these question immediately. Do not let March 9th come and you still don't know. You may need to make up some assignments. Maybe even beg for some extra credit. Do you need a tutor who can help you study for the graduation test? Students in the state of Georgia need this test in order to graduate. Please don't be that student who gets pulled out of the graduation line because you didn't pass. Get organized immediately, do not get caught up in prom and end of the school years parties when the year is not over.

Second, what if your GPA is a little lower than you would like? What do you do? Can you say SUMMER SCHOOL? Let's take a class or two that may boost that GPA. Find a school (2-year college, community college, technical school, etc) that will allow you to attend for the summer for simply that reason. Summer school at this stage of the game is on a whole new level and you may find that it can help you land right on target.

These are just a few simple things that you can do to make sure you graduate and at least set yourself up for college. Remember, it's not over til it's over!