Brian Safdari - College Planning Experts

College Freshman - Know Before You Go!

It is almost time to pack up and head off to college for the Fall 09 quarter/semester!  There are many things to consider, plan for and buy.  Here is a handy checklist to keep you on track.

Is your housing taken care of?
Have you checked your student portal for new information?
Will you take your car?  Where will you park?
Are there special computer requirements?
What phone options are available?
Have you discussed allowance with your parents?
Set up banking arrangements.  Is your account linked to your parents account so they can transfer money to you quickly?
Do you need to obtain a work-study job or follow up on any of your aid?
What will you do for medical insurance?  Is there a pharmacy on campus?
Do you need a school health insurance plan? (SHIP)
Will you need or want a bike on campus/  Do you need a campus permit?  Do you have a lock?
What items are restricted?  Check your paperwork!
Do you need a fridge or microwave?  Can you rent one for the year?
Do you need any extra furniture for your room or apartment?
Is there air conditioning?  Do you need a fan?
When do you register for classes?  Will you need to take any placement tests?
Do you need to take a picture for your student id card?  if you already  have, do you need to pick up the id card?
Do you have a lock for your laptop?
Find the computer support office for your dorm!
Keep a list of all equipment serial id numbers, tech support, other PINS and passwords.
Discuss how often you will come home.
Don't miss out on any of the move in week activities!

This a a small sampling of helpful tips and useful information that we sahre at our workshops and with our clients.  Come to a FREE college planning workshop in your area!  Visit www.collegeplanningexperts.com

Colleges Encourage iPhone Use

Colleges are now pushing iPhone apps for their students. Most colleges now offer podcasts of lectures and guest speakers but now there are some very specific as well as a few general apps that will increase your productivity. Apps for all students to check out; Dictionary.com, Periodic table, Chem calculator, Easy task manager, Sparky (for Spark notes), G flash (flash cards) and Scientific calculator. More specialized apps include; Medical Abbreviations, Diagnosis Codes, Gestational Calendar and Cholesterol management algorithm. Check to see if your college has a campus specific app as some have to show you campus maps, course catalogs and on campus events.

College Campus Tour Tips

The summer is a great time to take your student on college campus visits.  When you are on a tour, be sure to make it your priority to get a sense of the school’s academic environment. Here are some great questions to ask (or have your student ask) on a campus visit:

**Do students interact with their professors outside of the classroom?
**Do many guest lecturers come to the campus?
**Do professors within your student’s department of interest offer open lectures on their research and newest discoveries?
**How active are academic societies on campus?
**Do students ask questions at the end of lectures or in smaller breakaway sessions?

Get more great tips for your student and tons of financial aid help when you come to a FREE College Planning Workshop!  Visit www.collegeplanningexperts.com for more information!

Colleges Still Need Blind?

According to a New York Times story, “many colleges are looking more favorably on wealthier applicants as they make their admissions decisions this year.” Colleges across the US have begun downsizing their administrations and school budgets in line with the economic climate, but financial aid has long been considered a safe haven. The past decade has witnessed an increase in “need-blind” aid by colleges in the effort to attract the most diverse student body. However, the current economic decline is driving more families than ever to request financial aid. Something has to give.

Get more information on how to apply to the right schools, how to pay for college without dipping into your retirement or sacrificing your current lifestyle, maximize your financial awards and more by attedning a FREE workshop in your area this month.  Visit www.collegeplanningexperts.com today and register!

College Medicine Cabinet

Chances are good that you won’t have your own private bathroom with a medicine cabinet all to yourself when you go away to college. Nevertheless, you will need to have any medications you take and some first-aid essentials readily at hand. Here’s what to do:

Find a clean, sturdy, lightweight plastic container that opens easily to serve as your “home-away-from-home” medicine cabinet. (Bathroom medicine cabinets aren’t the best places to store medicines anyway since the damp humid air in them may cause ingredients in pills or capsules to change.) Keep your medications in this container, along with first-aid supplies (see list below). Also include emergency phone numbers for your local health care provider or the student health center, as well as the regional Poison Control Center. Stash this “home-away-from-home” medicine cabinet in a dry, dark place. Lock it if little kids are around.

The American College of Emergency Physicians suggests these items for a first-aid kit:

 

*Pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen or aspirin. Check with your family health care professional or pharmacist to see which one they would recommend for you. Aspirin should not be used to relieve flu symptoms or be taken by anyone under 18. And, as is the case with most other medicines, pain medications—both prescription and non-prescription (over-the-counter)—should have their labels checked for any drug interaction warnings.
*Antihistamine for allergic reactions (speak with your health care professional about the best way you should treat an allergy)
*Adhesive bandages (assorted sizes) for minor cuts and scrapes
*Gauze in rolls or pads and adhesive tapes (to dress larger cuts and scrapes)
*Elastic wrap (for wrapping wrist, ankle, knee and elbow injuries)
*Safety pins
*Antiseptic wipes (to disinfect wounds or clean hands, tweezers or thermometer)
*Antibiotic ointment (to prevent burns, scrapes and cuts from becoming infected)
*Disposable, instant-activating cold packs (for cooling injuries and burns)
*Sharp scissors with rounded tips (for cutting tape, gauze or clothes)
*Tweezers
*Hydrogen peroxide (to disinfect wounds)
*Cough suppressant
*Decongestant tablets

Remember to read medication labels, expiration dates, usage instructions and warnings each time before taking any medications. Throw away any medicines that are beyond their expiration date. They may have lost potency. And the spoon you use to stir coffee or eat soup might not measure a precise dose of liquid medicines so be sure to use the dosing cap or other device that came with your medication.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a sudden illness or think you might have a medical- or health-related condition, do not use any medication without first consulting a health care professional.

Other items you might want for your home-away-from home “medicine cabinet” include the following:

*Thermometer in a container (consider buying a digital one with disposable covers)
*Sunscreen (15 SPF or higher is recommended)
*Calamine lotion (for itching from insect bites and stings, poison ivy)
*Antacid (for heartburn and indigestion—you know the reputation college food has!)
*Insect repellant
*Ace bandages
*Diarrhea remedy
*Throat lozenges
*Petroleum jelly or for those environmentalists like myself...Burt's Bees Res-Q Ointment!
*Cotton balls

A College Professor's Guide to Making the Grade

The following is from a college math professor, take note!

1.  Take all prerequisites before your first collegiate math class.
2.  Attend all classes and arrive at least 10 minutes early.
3.  Buy your textbook early and skim the first chapter.
4.  Sit close to the front of the classroom to avoid distractions.
5.  Find a srudy partner and try to meet several times a week.
6.  Monitor your study habits and attitude.
7.  Do not be afraid to ask questions - often high school students think asking questions is a sign of weakness.  This is not true in college.
8.  Seek help from study labs or professors early.
9.  Consider taking a class over the summer when you can only focus only on this one course.
10.  Keep up on a daily basis and remember, for every hour in class, you should be studying at least 2 hours outside the classroom.

Bikes on College Capmuses

Time to get a bike for school!  Most of you will be looking for a new bike this fall for your new college campus. Bikes are an integral part of your daily college life. Unless you are able to score an aweome deal before you leave for school at Target or Wal Mart and that is if you have room in or on your car to carry the bike to school, you will need to find one on campus. Bikes at the bike stores on and around campus are very expensive! Who wants to pay 200-300 dollars for a bike, right? You also want to keep in mind that you will need a rear "fender" so you don't end up with the "Freshman Stripe" the first time you ride through a puddle or in the rain! Take a look at The Collegiate Bicycle Company. They have reps on most major campuses across the country and have smokin deals on bikes. These are those perfect cruisers, including that all important fender and they are painted in school colors with your schools logo. We bought one at UC Davis during move in week for $100! What a deal! Check out the web site and make sure they will be on your campus this fall during move in week.

Don't want to purchase a bike but still need one?  College Bikes is starting an all new Bike Share program!  Coming to University of California Irvine this Fall is ZotWheels...

ZotWheels is easy and fun because you don’t have the hassle or expense of owning and storing your own bike. Your membership card will allow you to rent a bike from any station simply by swiping your card in the card reader. After your ride, you may drop off your bike at any ZotWheels station with an available slot. The RFID tracking equipment marries the user’s card to a specific bike and tracks its use until the bike is returned. Notifications are sent to the user, when the bike is removed and returned. If a bike is not returned, the user and security will be notified.

Read what UCI has to say about this exciting new program!

"Parking and Transportation Services seeks to decrease the carbon footprint by offering affordable, environmentally sustainable, and increasingly accessible forms of transportation. In light of this mission, Parking is excited to bring the first automated self-service bike share program in California, ZotWheels, to the UC system. Almost a pound of tailpipe emissions will be saved for every mile a member rides a bike instead of driving. Bike sharing allows faculty, students, and staff an alternative to driving when making short-distance trips during the work and school day, as well as addressing important issues such as health and environmental sustainability, the future of transportation, and promoting community building on campus. Bike sharing already exists in many European cities, such as Paris and Barcelona. Take our bikes for a short ride around the inner ring, to the park, to a meeting, or to class… ZotWheels are meant to be shared; so rent one, ride it, return it and repeat any time you want to bring a little fun to your day!"

For an awesome bike visit www.collegebikes.com today!

For more info on the Bike Share program visit http://www.bike.uci.edu/bike/zotwheels.cfm

College Planning Experts provides this and tons of other useful information on student planning, college finances, and more every day for over 300 clients, over 700 workshop attendees and countless others through our blog, FaceBook, Twitter and monthly newsletter.  Come to a FREE College Planning Workshop in your area and find out more!  Visit www.collegeplanningexperts.com or call 661-295-9946 today.

Competitive Students

One way to help distinguish your student from the thousands of others applying to college this year is to seek out national competitions for your student to enter.  The most competitive schools look at students on a national rather than local scale.  Encourage your student to enter national competitions in a field of interest.  A good showing in a competition of this scale is sure to impress admissions officers at schools of even the highest prestige.  Parents can help out by seeking out competitions for their kids.  Here a just a few you might want to check out.  And as always, student planning is unlimited for our clients!  Come to a FREE College Planning Workshop in your area and find out more!  661-295-9946 or www. collegeplanningexperts.com

National High School Competitions:

Academic Decathlon

US Department of Energy National Science Bowl

National Merit Scholarship Program

JROTC National Programs

World Affairs Council of America Academic World Quest

First Freedom Student Competition

National Achievment Scholarship Program

National Economics Challenge

National High School Mock Trial Championship

National Ocean Sciences Bowl

College Applications and Parent Involvement

Hey parents, make sure that your students know that summer is an absolutely crucial time to build on their resumes for college applications!  Colleges will be impressed if your student spends the summer doing something other than just hanging out.  And don’t worry about cost, there are plenty of constructive, fun things to do that are either cheap or free! Here are a few:
• Organize a community service project
• Volunteer at a hospital
• Take a job or internship in a field of interest
• Practice and instrument and perform
• Organize day trips by bike, public transportation or by hiking
• Invent something
• Make a challenging reading list and complete it

Also during the summer,  your kids are probably spending some of their time pursuing their extracurricular activities of choice.  Colleges love to see applicants who are passionate about their extracurriculars.  Students are far more likely to build a college application-ready resume of achievements if they have a little help along the way from their parents.  So be proactive!  Be on the lookout for contests, competitions, jobs, and internships for your student.  An encouraging attitude will help your student accomplish his or her goals.

 

Need help planning those summer campus visits?  How about helping your kid stay on track to get into a great 4 year college?  Have not thought about what schools you will apply to and you will be a senior in a few short months?  Don't know how you will pay for college?  Come to a FREE College Planning Workshop in  your area today.  Log on to www.collegeplanningexperts.com

 

FREE SAT and ACT Test Prep

Looking for SAT or ACT prep help? We found some great free test prep Web sites for you. Some sites require quick registration, but none require fees.

 

Full-length practice tests

Students who miss the ACT and SAT Web sites are missing a great opportunity to get free practice.

 

These sites offer one free test in addition to practice questions and test hints:

• ACT Inc. act.org

• The College Board (SAT) collegeboard.com

• UCCP Online uccp.org

• Princeton Review princetonreview.com

 

Practice test sections

It may be helpful to practice critical reading or math sections before tackling an entire test. Though these

three sites don’t offer full-length practice tests, they do have complete practice sections, strategies, advice and vocabulary.

 

• Number2.com  Founded to make high-quality test preparation universally accessible.

• Testprepreview.com  Offers practice test sections for the SAT, ACT and PSAT.

 

Vocabulary assistance

Many online sites offer free vocabulary assistance, including a list of the top SAT words; words of the

day; and lists of Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes and roots.  Beware of vocabulary sites that are punctilious; understanding the general idea of a word will be more beneficial in the long run than memorizing hundreds of dictionary meanings.

 

To garner a better vocabulary, here are a few sites:

 

• freevocabulary.com This list of 5,000 collegiate words offers brief, easy-to-remember definitions.

• msu.edu Michigan State University offers organized lists of advanced vocabulary words and Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes and roots. Search “vocab words.”

• m-w.com Merriam-Webster will e-mail subscribers a word of the day.

• quizhub.com The interactive quizzes on QuizHub feature eight words at a time. Just click to review the next set of words.

• virtualsalt.com/roots.htm This site has an easy-to read table of Greek and Latin roots and prefixes.

• vocabtest.com Free online vocabulary workshops cover all levels of words. This is a great site to increase your vocabulary comprehension.

 

Test resources

If you are in need of deft advice on how to take these tests, turn to:

•

ePrep.com Launched in spring 2006, ePrep.com is an extension of Karl Schellscheidt’s private tutoring practice.  The site now includes test prep and college admission advice.  The unique interactive format of ePrep.com allows videos to be downloaded to iPods or other devices. 

 

ePrep.com is the test prep that College Planning Experts endorses.  They guarantee a 200-300 point increase in your SAT scores with certain programs.  For our discount on all ePrep programs visit our website for the direct link!  www.collegeplanningexperts.com