Parents (and increasingly students) are asking us about transferring from a community college to a 4 year university from early in their high school careers and making transfer a primary option, rather than a Plan B. Community college transfer became a more serious option when families were uncertain about admissions chances. Now, younger students and…
You Can’t Divorce Your College Degree
The reputation of a college and its alumni is no small consideration in choosing schools for application. Networks of professionals and access to opportunities all can be gained with an institution’s name attached to your resume. (Of course, you still have to earn a position and perform consistently to stay in that position.) Yet, the…
Evolution of Learning
We expect teachers and schools to be objective. Yet, we demand subjectivity when a kid struggles to understand concepts. We assume knowledge is knowledge–some static, unchanging entity. So, if a kid doesn’t understand or even simply takes longer than the class is allotted to learn the concept, there’s something inherently wrong with the kid or…
Thomas Jefferson for the Twenty-First Century American
Many years ago, in my role as a high school teacher of U.S. Government, I had the unique opportunity that allowed me to experiment–teach one and only one concept, one document to one group of kids for the entire school year. We studied the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson–attempting to understand and apply…
Prudent Fiscal Planning (Part 4): To Save, Or Not To Save That Is The Question
Previous posts in this series on prudent fiscal planning, focused on the need for fiscal planning, as well as both the income and expense elements of the profit and loss (income and expense) statement. Today, we will look at net income–which is the total after subtracting expenses from income in any given period–and, yes, it…
High School = College Tours “Invade” Family Vacations
Once students enter high school, parents start planning summer vacations to coordinate with college campus visits (often wondering where all the time went). More exposure to college life helps students make informed decisions about applications and eventually enrollment. Listen to our tips that will help make time on campus more productive: Starting tours early also…
Risk & Reward
Fear of mistakes can become a liability. Henry Kissinger once warned that our search for certainty can leave us simply reacting to the next emergency. Yet, transformed, this same desire for perfection can create an exacting attention to detail and ability to forecast probabilities. Is your view that life is inherently full of risk or…
College = Personal & Intellectual Independence?
Here’s proof that computer science and creative arts are not opposite pursuits. Will the prospective colleges you’re investigating allow you the room to think outside the box? Many students tell us they’re seeking greater independence by going to college. Doesn’t the freedom to innovate AND be nurtured for realizing something previously unimagined qualify, as “independence”?…
The Internship Dilemma
While internships give new professionals valuable experience, Federal laws prohibit interns from doing tasks that a company would otherwise pay an employee. In California, interns are required to earn college credit in place of being paid. Since college students seek internships to be competitive for decreasing numbers of jobs, given the current economic circumstances,…
College Grads Face Difficult Job Market
Recent college grads continue to face what may be one of the most difficult job markets since the 1930’s. Not only is the job market grim for college grads, but many also begin their job search weighed down by student loan debt that cannot be forgiven, postponed indefinitely (nor done so for free).
House & Senate Approve Student Loan Interest Rate Freeze
Today, the House approved the bill to keep student loan interest rates at 3.4% for the 2012-13 school year. The Senate approved the freeze on Tuesday. President Obama has been campaigning for the continued lower rate, over the scheduled 6.8% increase, as we reported earlier this spring. See The Washington Post for more details
The “Muddy” Side of Learning
Do-it-yourself does not just refer to hours at Home Depot, then trucking all that stuff home to saw, sweat, swear and drive back to Home Depot for stuff you forgot, while your family watches from a distance–afraid of the snarls. As an educational tool, DIY refers to the blow-stuff-up, come-home-dirty-enough-so-your-mom-makes-you-change-in-the-garage, direct-your-own-project learning. You know,…
An “If” Halts UC Tuition Increase…Temporarily?
If voters approve a tax increase on November’s ballot, then the UC will freeze tuition at current amounts–$12,192. (The UC Regents discussed the possibility of a 6% tuition increase for 2012-13 at their last meeting and were expected to vote on the increase in July. That vote will not be called.) However, if voters DO…
CA Budget Affects Cal Grants for Private, Non Profit Colleges
Proposed reductions in funding for the Cal Grant program, in the current 2013 Fiscal budget plan, would reduce private, non-profit university student’s grants by 17% by 2014 to $8,056 per year. (Examples of private non-profit colleges are the University of Pacific or University of Southern California.) Current Cal Grants for private, non-profit university students are…
Maybe a Summer-Slide Is Just What the Doctor Ordered?
Annually, this is the time of year parents and teachers share concerns that students forget academic concepts, since they’re not in school several months. It’s often called, “Summer-Slide.” Yet, how much does consistency affect students’ comprehension and academic progress?