Organized Students Earn More Scholarship Money

One of the sixteen traits of students who earn full ride scholarships to college is being highly organized. As high school seniors, it’s obvious in everything they do. You might wonder how they picked up these skills. It started when they were little. They learned them from their parents.

Parents who display organizational skills in their daily lives are modeling this essential behavior for their children. Students develop the trait themselves while they progress through school. A little organization goes a long way to keep on top of things and avoid stress. This is especially true when setting up appointments.

Have you ever wondered why you bump into teachers at the optometrist or dentist during the month of August? Teachers know the school year is a busy time, so they make annual medical and dental check-up appointments the month before school begins. This is what I did each year until I retired. Then, since I no longer had the start of school as a reminder, I made all such appointments during the month of my birth. I’m not likely to forget my birthday.

Any time I have a recurring appointment, like when my daughter wore braces and needed them adjusted regularly, or when I have my hair cut, I make the follow up appointment before I pay. I take out my planner and make the appointment even before I remove my credit card. This way I don’t have to worry about remembering to call, and I get a time that fits into my schedule.

Habits like being organized are picked up by children simply by watching their parents. If you want your child to do well in school, model skills you know they will need. Being organized is an important one.

You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.

 

For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE . It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.

 

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Trade Free Time for Free Money for College

A long time ago, when a semester of college cost about the same as a week’s worth of groceries for a family of four, students didn’t spend much time applying for scholarships. They didn’t need to, even college textbooks were inexpensive. Those days are gone. Students and their families need to start looking for scholarships and grants and applying for them much earlier. Some college scholarships are even awarded to children in elementary and middle school.

So if you’re in high school, and you haven’t applied for free money yet, just know someone else has. If you don’t get started now, free money will be harder to find. But don’t panic quite yet, (unless you’re a high school senior). Mother Nature and the calendar are trying to help you out.

At the present time, much of the US is experiencing bad weather. Thousands of students are home, since their schools are closed. I’m sure many of them are playing video games, watching movies or texting friends. The sharpest ones, however, are using this free time to find free money. Those are the students who see free time as an opportunity, and use it to find and apply for college scholarships.

Each high school has at least one counselor or clerk who is the most knowledgeable when it comes to everything college. Make friends with this person and find out as much as possible about scholarships and grants. Make a list of scholarships and keep adding to it. Also use your free time (weekends, holidays, snow days, etc.) to apply for any that look good.

Creating a plan in advance will allow you to take advantage of found time. While others are bored, you’re looking for gold. While they’re making snow angels, you’re figuratively doing the same with money. Find and apply for as many local scholarships as you can. Apply for those offered by your colleges of choice too, of course. Quickly apply for huge scholarships you find offered by foundations and companies.

Use any source available to you. There are many scholarships listed online. Go to my Twitter feed, @ElizaWallace27, and you’ll find several scholarships I’ve come across. Follow the links to the Twitter accounts of those who focus on scholarships to find even more. Be sure to check out any scholarship you find before applying. Make sure it’s real, still available and will cost you nothing but time. Then, go for it. Repeat this process over and over until you’ve graduated from college debt free. 

You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.

 

For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE . It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Image Credit: Google Images

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Snow Days and Holidays Can Help Middle School Students Earn College Scholarships

Throughout middle school, there are plenty of “found days”, just like in elementary school. Some are weather related; others are holidays, or teacher in-service days. Why not use this time to help students do things they enjoy which could eventually help them earn more scholarship money for college?

Some activities in middle school will greatly increase the odds of winning scholarships for college. If you haven’t seen my article on elementary school “found days”, click here to read it: "Found Days". Everything in that post relates to middle school students too. But in middle school, while having fun pursuing a student’s interest is a good idea, starting to pivot towards looking at colleges is also important.

On days in which students are snowed in, or otherwise unable to spend time outdoors, using online resources to “visit” colleges is still a possibility. Using the college’s website to research curriculum is a good start. Students will want to know if the college has a full program in their area of interest. But while looking at the college website, students must also take a look at the financial picture. How much would it cost to go there for four years? What kind of scholarships or grants do they provide? Do they have a work study program? Do they help with job placement after graduation?

But don’t stop there. Research the city in which the college is located, since many graduates end up living in the community where they went to college. The website, www.usa.com gives detailed information about cities in the US. As Steven Covey suggests, begin with the end in mind. What do you want to study, and where do you want to live after graduation? If a college’s curriculum, financial picture and community all fit what you’re looking for, start researching scholarships and grants in earnest.

While free play is always a viable choice when school is not in session, using found time doing something that might lead to college scholarships is a much better idea. Families who start planning for college before a child is in high school, find winning lots of scholarship money for college is easier than families who don’t plan ahead.

You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.

 

For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE . It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Image Credit: Google Images

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Snow Days and Holidays Can Help Elementary Students Earn College Scholarships

Throughout the school year there are plenty of “found days” when students don't go to school. Some are weather related, like snow days, when school is closed. Others are holidays, especially on Mondays, resulting in three day weekends. During teacher in-service days school is open, but kids don’t go. Why not use this time to help students do things they enjoy which could help earn more scholarship money for college?

Even in elementary, some pastimes greatly increase the odds of winning scholarships later. It’s always a good idea to determine a child’s talents and interests at an early age, and then reassess from time to time. This way, children will enjoy the activities that are selected, and resistance can be avoided.

It’s wise to prepare for these eventualities in advance. Waiting until you’re snowed in to find something to do really doesn’t work well. But if a list is created beforehand and kept in a safe place, it’ll be ready when needed. The best place to get ideas is at school. Early in the school year, send an email, text or make an appointment with your child’s teacher. Request suggestions for free time play in areas which will be studied that year. Or, let the teacher know your child’s interests and ask where you can find related things to do at home, when school is not in session.

Another place to look is online. Google the interest of your child and see what’s available. Look at YouTube too. Use the area of interest or talent in your search, but be sure to preview the site or video before letting your child see it, to determine if it's age appropriate. Many science videos and sites for kids are online. Bill Nye the Science Guy has several videos on YouTube. So does Samantha Brown. Her “Passport to Europe” segments are light hearted, fun and very educational.

No matter what your child’s strength or interest, you'll find plenty of interesting, educational diversions that can be enjoyed when cooped up in the house. You can also go visit places, if weather is not an issue. Again, it’s wise to prepare in advance. You'll find many that suit each field of interest. Contact your city recreation department, look to local college calendars for events, and again, research online or ask your child’s teacher.

While free play is always a viable choice, using found time to further your child’s interest in something that might lead to college scholarships later is a much better choice. Families who start planning for college while their children are quite young, find that winning lots of scholarship money for college is easier than it is for families who don’t plan ahead.

You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.

 

For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE . It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Image Credit: Google Images

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