Piece of cake! =]

Hello world!

My name is Dara Anderson and I work to assist all of the college advisers. You guys don't hear from me too much on here, but I just had to share something!

This weekend I filed my FAFSA for my final year of college coming up. That's right, my last time filing! This would be the fourth time I have filed, so I have quite a bit of FAFSA experience under my belt and also... a secret to share with you. Ready? It gets easier every time! In all seriousness, it took me five minutes to update my FASFA this weekend with my family's new tax information and get it submitted. ONLY FIVE!

I know that it seems like a daunting task to fill out all of the information it asks for, but it is so worth it. Remember, just fill out everything once and then in your following years of college, it's only going to take 5 minutes a year to update and complete.

Oh, by the way, I got $1,800 for college this coming year. Best 5 minutes I've ever spent! It was a piece of cake!

You can do it!
Dara

Choose Wisely

                As a group, the Wyoming College Advising Corp (WYCAC) is hoping to assist in building a foundation for high school students to achieve higher learning success. Our goal is to someday see all Wyoming students move on to some form of post-secondary education. That being said, our goals mix very well with yours if you aspire to be successful in your chosen career path.

                Sadly, however, not every profession is created equal, and some college majors are exposed to greater earnings potential and/or a lower rate of unemployment – so choose wisely! The link below is one of my favorites. This link lists college majors by their current rate of unemployment.

http://graphicsweb.wsj.com/documents/NILF1111/#term=

                It is important to follow your dreams, but realistically speaking, it is equally important to get into a field that will ensure that you can remain employed and able to pay off the cost of your college education. This is a fun link to reference and I hope it helps you to understand the importance of choosing the right college major, and maybe in turn, the right career path. 

T.D. Bjornestad

Find Your Sweet Spot

If you're going to college, you probably want to be successful. If this isn't your goal, you might as well just burn your money now and save yourself some time. But how does one become successful in college? Well, you've already seen some great ideas by the other advisors, so I'll just go ahead and throw another one out there for you: Find what you're good at it, and run with it.

A lot of students go to college planning on studying pre-med or engineering. The motivations for entering these fields of study can range from wanting to help people, to doing something that your parents do, or even to simply make a lot of money. Unfortunately, some of the students who go into these fields don't fully understand what they're getting into. Some fields require lots of math and/or science, and if these aren't your strong suits, you might be fighting an uphill battle.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you to just give up. That would be silly. All I'm saying is that when you find what an are that you're really good at, stick with it. Make that your major or emphasis of study. If you're not enjoying your major, change it. You can't be successful in school if you're not enjoying yourself.

So find what field of study you enjoy and are good at, and make it happen!

When in Rome
Tedward

Balance :)

It’s all about balance. In order to be a successful and happy college student you need to maintain a balance between your social life and your study life. The fact is that you’re going to have to study, and probably a lot of studying at that. But don’t let that get you down. There is so much fun to be had at college, but the party is going to be short lived if you don’t pass your classes. Take the phrase “live to die another day”. So if we apply the principle of living your life to make it to another day. We want to make it to the next semester; this is going to require studying. Study to socialize another day.

Heather

Professors

There are so many tips I could give you on how to be a successful student.  I think my top piece of advice is to get to know your professors.  It is important to meet your professors because some of your classes may have hundreds of students enrolled.  Professors are not going to take the time to meet each student. I would recommend attending office hours within the first two weeks to introduce yourself to your professor.  That way they can match a face to a name.

I’m not going to lie to you.  Professors can be scary. It is intimidating to walk into a professor’s office, but it is worth it in the end.  It is easier to ask questions once you get to know your professor.   Remember to get to know them early though.  I will strongly suggest you do not walk into the professor’s office two weeks before the final exam and say, “Hi Professor. My name is Joe Blow.  I have failed all the tests, only done half of the homework, and this is my first time meeting you.  What can I do to pass your class?”  They will take one look at you, laugh, and let you fail the class.

I feel the need... the need for speed.

Lauren

6 tips

Being a successful college student doesn’t always mean getting a 4.0 GPA every semester but it does mean putting your all into everything you do in and outside of classroom time. I want to share 6 tips to help you become a successful college student, and get the most out of your education.

1.       ATTEND CLASS! This may seem obvious, but that 8 a.m. class can come awfully early each day. However, research shows that high class attendance correlates with higher grades.

2.       Sit in the front row. By sitting in the front you are able to focus on the instructor where it’s easier to hear him/her, and listen without distractions.

3.       Attend office hours. Your professor will know the amount of effort you are putting into his/her class if you attend office hours regularily, and therefore will be more willing to help you out come the final exams.

4.       Excecise regularly. If you exercise on a daily basis, you will have sleep better and have more energy to help you stay on top of your academics!

5.       Get involved on campus. Whether you join a club or play on an intramural sports team, getting involved helps you broaden your horizons.

And above all, remember to have fun! All work and no play will lead to greater amounts of stress. So reward your hard working efforts and cut loose every now and then.

The Copacetic College Student

            For years now, Facebook and Zynga (producer of Farmville and Words With Friends) have been stuffing their pockets with money made from the traffic of distracted college students. Now I’m a colossally supportive of free markets, but something seems amiss when a company’s biggest competitive rival is a 25-page midterm paper on “The Theory of Production Sciences in Mid-Cap Corporate Manufacturers.” This is this is a call to arms for all college students – efficient working is the b est way to be successful in college.

            Studying doesn’t always share the glamour that college extra-curricular activities enjoy, but it is momentously important to being productive in college. As a student, you will have to learn to balance study sessions with social ventures, and because both are important you will have to acquire efficient working principles. There are no hard-and-fast methods here, but when studying, go with this question as a rule: Am I working/studying as efficiently as I could be? If the answer to that question is “No,” then find the hitch and cut it out. Tune out or turn off things like loud music, Facebook, and Twitter during study time. Study time is STUDY TIME and it doesn’t mix well with others. Be efficient and focused during study sessions, and you will find that all other things will fall well in line.

            College success can be that simple. Be an effective worker during study times and a relaxed relaxer during those relaxing times that you’ve worked so hard to earn.

T.D. Bjornestad

The first week is the most important……

So you have made it all the way to college. You have set up your dorm room and got your schedule sorted. Now you’re ready to relax, right?............ NOT!!!

Colleges jam pack the first week of college with activities for a very specific reason. Colleges have all of these activities so that new students can meet other new students. The first week is the prime time to meet students just like you. So grab your roommate or go stag and check out what’s going on with your campus.

Heather

I Challenge You!

While you are in college, you will be given the opportunity to study abroad or serve in a foreign country on an alternative spring break—DO IT!  This might be one of the only times in your life where you will have the opportunity to do so!

Making the most out of your college experience means challenging yourself, stepping out of your comfort zone, and exploring the unknown. There is no better way than to travel the country and immerse yourself in an unfamiliar country  and their culture. Whether you choose to study abroad in Italy for a semester or spend a week in the Dominican Republic during spring break staying in the local orphanages, I challenge you to do something that will enrich your college experience!

Have a grett weekend!
Faith

Jump

Being a college student is a great opportunity to not just create an identity academically for yourself, but most of all transforming yourself into the person that you are going to become. As a senior in high school right now you are the big dog on campus, you know all the cool people and the in's and out's of your home town. You feel a sense of invincibility and think you have the ability to take on the world as you know it to be. However, once you leave home and break out into a world of higher achievement both academically and socially. You cannot be afraid to take the mighty hammer Mjullner and take the next step. As Van Halen puts it in their 1984 hit song “Jump” you need to be able to “role with the punches until you get to what’s real”. College gives you that opportunity to role with the punches by meeting new people, living in a college dorm room that is too small for two people, eating in a mess hall with 200 other students, learning the Chicago turabian writing prompt, arguing with a professor that you completely disagree with during office visits, and finding time to enjoy a cup of coffee in the student union with your new friends from seven states away. As I tell my kids every day what is cool in high school is no longer cool in college, and I wish I could start my four years of college over again, because it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. So don’t be afraid to JUMP out of your high school click and into a great college career both academically and socially.

As always “All the answers you seek will be answered once you find Mjullner” 

Aaron Taylor - Riverton High School College Advisor

2 Out of 3 Ain't Bad

I've said it before, and I will most definitely say it again: college is the best 4 to 7 years of your life. As strange as that may sound, I firmly believe it. Now the time frame can definitely vary. Some of y'all will only go the 2-year track for an associate's, and that's cool. Then college will be the best 2 year of your life. But lot's of people do go to college for 7 years. Some of them are called doctors. But I digress. The point is, college is awesome.

One of the coolest things about college is that it is as enjoyable as you make it. You can have as much fun as you want. I'm certainly not telling you to focus more on fun than school, but you have to find a balance. Otherwise classes will become unbearable. And we don't want that now do we?

So get yourself out there. Meet new people. Join a student organization (or 5). Rush a sorority of fraternity. Whatever you think would make college enjoyable for you--in addition to going to class and studying, of course--go out and do it!

One of the best pieces of advice I got about college is that you have three basic choices about what to do in college: Get good grades, Have a great time, and Get adequate amounts of sleep. You can only pick two. I would advise you to go with the first two options. There's plenty on time for sleep when you get older.

So have fun. And enjoy the ride!

Carpe Deim
Tedward

Branching Out

College is the best time of your life. The best memories do not come from passing a physics test or writing a paper though (while they are memories, they may not be good ones).  The best memories are from going to a football game, seeing a concert, or a spring break trip with your friends.  Some of these memories may include your high school friends, which is great. Hopefully, other memories include new friends.  That is my advice to you... branch out and meet new people.

Step outside of your personal bubble and challenge yourself to meet twenty new people the first week of classes.  Here are some helpful hints to where you can meet people...

·         In class

·         At the dorms

·         At the cafeteria

·         At the gym

·         Join a club

·         Participate in intramural sports

·         Join a fraternity/sorority

The list goes on and on.  When you meet new people, you will experience new things.  It is okay to keep your high school friends, but try to be open to new people.  You may meet your true love, or a study buddy, or a new best friend.

Do, or do not. There is no 'try'.

Lauren

Make College More Than Academic

My senior capstone professor swore by advice that stated that it was in the best interest of every student to get a “B” in their first semester; his reasoning was that it would cease any inspiration to attain 4.0 in college, and allow the student an opportunity to “really learn in college.” I can’t stand behind that notion entirely, but I have to admit that the overarching emphasis is utterly sound – college is your opportunity to grow in a holistic sense.

In order to make the most of your college experience you don’t have to get a “B” in year one, or any at all for that matter (aim for the 4.0). You will, however, have to step well outside of your comfort zone and join clubs or attend events – explore the exotic at any juncture.

 You’ve been wronged if you were lead to believe that college is strictly academic, and it would be wrong of you to treat it that way. Grow as an individual, expand your horizons, and take full advantage everything that college offers.

- T.D. Bjornestad 

The Joy of Writing a Resume

Alright, let's get real for a second: There is, in fact, very little "joy" involved in writing a resume. In all actuality, it is pretty much a big pain in the you-know-what. But the truth is, a resume is one of the most important documents you will ever create in your life. No pressure or anything.

Now, you can use some of the tips we've already given, such as using key words and making it unique. The best advice may have been given by Heather, who mentioned it's better to have an actual, real live person look at your resume. Teachers and counselors in your school would most certainly be willing to help you. I have one more bit of advice that can help ease the resume stress.

Make your resume a living document.

I'm not talking about going all Dr. Frankenstein and actually making the piece of paper come to life. That would be pretty neat, but also pretty silly. What I mean is keep you resume constantly changing. Reach a new milestone at your part-time or summer job? Put it in. Put together an awesome community service project? Put it in. Get a prestigious award from you school? PUT IT IN! By adding noteworthy items as they occur, you alleviate the pressure of scrambling when you actually need the resume. And a stressed resume isn't always a good resume.

So there you have it. Update as you go along, and make life easier.

I'll catch y'all on the flip side
Tedward

Dear Resume

I’m anything but the resume master. Frankly, working on my resume is about equal with running suicide sprints. I don’t know why anyone would consider either to be fun. But at some point you’re going to have to do both. This would be the opportune time to give you some pointers on running sprints but they would be kind of useless in a blog about College. So….I’ll stick to what I am good at…or better at in this case. I have been lucky enough to have stellar English teachers that gave me good advice to pass on. 

•Human check- Yes, the majority of word processing programs automatically check your spelling. But unfortunately most of the time spell check doesn’t know the difference in regards to the correct usage of their, there and they’re. So make sure a real person who has a basic command of the English language gets to glance at your paper.

•Don’t use a postal code in your resume- You don’t live in WY. You live in Wyoming. The abbreviation of WY should only be on the front of your envelopes. Wyoming is a place, WY is a postal code. It only requires an extra five letters to alleviate the problem, so just spell it out. 

•Consistency is key- Keep the formatting of your resume the same throughout. Stick with the same font and size where appropriate. If you bold one previous employer you have to bold all of your previous employers.  You want to look like you have got this whole resume thing together……and you will!

Heather

Make it Unique

Resumes are a fact of life. You need a resume to get a job. No, I’ll restate myself. You need a good resume to get a job.  Trent made an excellent point. It is important to use key words in your resume.  My piece of advice is to make your resume unique.  Do not use resume templates in Word Processing.  Templates are boring.  Employers do not want to see the same resume a thousand times. 

Making your resume unique can be a double edged sword though.  Unique does not mean having rainbow background, adding a picture of a puppy, or having pink scented paper.  Sorry Elle Woods, but that is a big no no (from Legally Blonde for those that don’t know).  Employers want to know you are serious about the position. Make sure your resume looks professional and serious.

Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. 

Lauren       

Using KeyWords

                Poorly drafted résumés didn’t lead us to our current rate of 9% unemployment, but they certainly won’t help anyone to overcome the trend; for anyone, student or otherwise, to be successful in this highly competitive labor market they must have a robust and current résumé.

                For a high school or college student, writing a résumé isn’t as simple as listing a few extracurricular activities, peppering in some work experience, and ending the document with “references available upon request” (putting that phrase on any résumé, by the way, is a colossal misstep – your prospective employer is well aware). You have to individually cater you résumé to match the job or internship that you are trying to land. This task is as simple as reading the job listing and aligning your previous work experience to match the work experience that is demanded.

To understand this point, let’s say for example that you are applying for a marketing internship that asks for “experience handling large sums of money.” If in a previous job you have gained this familiarity then it is to your benefit to state directly that you have “experience handling large sums of money.” Employers are looking for key words and phrases every time they turn their eyes to a new résumé, and using their words makes it easier for them to recognize that you’re a fit. Furthermore, for jobs and internships with large applicant pools, employers may use preliminary software to identify people with the requisite skills for the job. This software can run through thousands of résumés in seconds and is specifically looking for exact matches on the key words and phrases that were printed in the job description; if your resume doesn’t make any matches then you will have likely struck out before even swinging.

The job and internship market is more competitive than ever and using this tip will undoubtedly help you to be successful in landing your next big break.

T.D. Bjornestad

Exquisite desire is what it takes to overcome the obstacles that get in the way of our goals of living a successful life. You lie in bed at night before you fall asleep wondering what the next day, month, or year will bring. You may be in high school wondering what career you should pursue, or a college student wondering what the future holds for you.  There are a hundred different obstacles and loops to jump through to get to that next step. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and you can get there.  Filing the FAFSA is just another one of those obstacles you must overcome in order to prepare for your financial needs of attending college, and getting the best experiences that college has to offer. It takes some action on your part to talk to your parents or guardians about the importance of tracking down financial aid, and that you need their help. If your parents have questions and seek answers and want to seek answers, you can direct them to your college advisors and counselors Don’t be afraid to have your mom and dad come in and talk to your counselors about financial aid for college. Your counselors and advisors are a good resource and can help you with completing your FAFSA requirements. Remember there is always someone to turn to for assistance on completing the FAFSA.

Aaron Taylor – Riverton High School College Advisor defender of the College Realm Eternal

Verification............. Just believe me!!!!!!

You breezed through your school application with ease. You filled the FAFSA with great care. All seemed taken care of until you were hit with a 12 letter word…..VERIFICATION. The process of applying for financial aid has just grown by one step. If you are looking at the verification process as unnecessary because you’re an honest person, just remember not everyone is as honest as you. The government hands out lots and lots of money for school. When we are talking about lots of money we want to make sure people are deserving of that money. This is one more hoop you’re going to have to jump through. If you have been selected for verification you will be notified from your college usually through the mail. In order to complete the verification process you will have to complete certain steps. Sometimes those steps will include submitting a verification form and tax information to your financial aid office. The important thing to remember when it comes to verification is that verification is NOT optional. If you don’t complete verification you can’t be awarded any money. SO…..take verification seriously and complete the steps as soon as possible. Don’t let this hoop be what gets in between you and free money.

So far, we've gotten some great ideas from Trent, Lauren and Faith about the importance of the FAFSA and how to approach it. I would like to take a minute and give you a little more basic information on the FAFSA. But I think I found some guys who can explain it a  bit better than I can. Check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2d7IfFgxTs

Consider yourself educated.

Until we meet again,
Tedward

THE FAFSA FOLDER

                The most important piece of information that I can pass along to anyone about the FAFSA is that it requires your full attention throughout the entirety of your college program. YOU DO have to file every year, YOU DO have to remember you FAFSA Pin every year, and YOU WILL have to collect tax data every year. With that in mind, it is never too late to start a FAFSA organization folder.

            A FAFSA organization folder will allow you to have quick and easy access to all of the records required to complete the FAFSA. How do you create one? Begin by buying a three-ring binder for organizing physical paperwork like W-2’s, tax returns, forms etc. Create folders inside the binder titled “FAFSA 2012-2013,” and “FAFSA 2013-2014”… from there it’s as easy as putting the requisite information into each folder. For example: as you receive your W2 from your 2011 summer job place that W2 into the “FAFSA 2012-2013,” as this piece of paperwork will be essential in finishing your 2012-2013 FAFSA. Repeat this process by collecting copies of your parents W2’s and tax returns, and store it all in a safe place until it is needed.

            By creating this folder you can eliminate a great deal of the stress associated with filing the FAFSA – nothing is worse than searching for every file on the day that you apply. Additionally, for those of you planning to attend a FAFSA help session this folder will be absolutely necessary, and you should be certain to bring it along. I hope these tips help, and if you need any further information contact your schools advising staff.

T.D. Bjornestad

Sharing Family Information

It is time for the FAFSA. Hopefully you all understand the importance of filing the FAFSA.  Also, I hope you understand the importance of keeping the information on the FAFSA to yourself.  The FAFSA requires you and your parents/guardians to input personal information.  This includes social security numbers, family background, and family income. 

THIS INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE SHARED! It is private information.  It might be the first time you see your family’s income.  You may learn your family makes more money than you thought.  They might make less.  You might want to go tell your friends.  But don’t.  Money and finances can be a touchy subject for some people.  So when you learn about your family’s financial situation, keep it to yourself. 

There is one exception with sharing information. Any information you share with a professional who is available to help you and your family file the FAFSA is confidential.  If your school counselor or college advisor helps you file the FAFSA, they CAN NOT share your family’s information with anyone.  Get to it, and start file those FAFSAs.

Beam me up, Scotty.

Lauren