Wednesday, April 25, 2018

How to Take Control of Your Life







I grew up with the space program. My father worked for North American Aviation, which broke the sound barrier. They became Rocketdyne and sent men into space. Eventually, with another name change, they put men on the moon. It was no surprise then I became a candidate for NASA’s Teacher in Space Program.

The application was grueling. Out of 50,000 teachers who requested one, only 10,000 were returned. Mine was one of them. One task I had to complete before doing so was to acquire three letters of recommendation. I received one from my school principal, the city manager where I lived (and was a civic leader), and one from my school superintendent.

I’ll never forget the lesson I learned when I went to pick up my letter from my superintendent. His letter was glorious, but it was what he said to me that made a significant difference in my life.

He said I was doing way too much. I was very active at my school, in my school district, my home and my city. He thought I was participating in some activities I didn’t even care about. He was right. I was often appointed to tasks and committees and given responsibilities that were of no interest to me.

He told me to just say NO. I had heard that before. I had seen the message on billboards. But I never thought I had permission to use the word. He told me to say No to every request, unless it was something I loved doing. I explained some of the “requests” were from my boss. He said it didn’t matter. Find a way. Use the word.

I was lucky to hear this, but in an odd coincidence, later that week I was conducting a lesson on three French verbs, vouloir, pouvoir and devoir. The text gave a simple example of how these verbs can be used. It translates to, “I would love to, but, I’m sorry, I can’t, I have to…” This phrase has saved me lots of energy, exasperation and arguments.

I began to use it, still do. But I also taught it to friends and students. It’s a way to excuse yourself from anything you wish to avoid without causing animosity in others. I now do only what fits my personal goals and say no to the rest. I didn’t go into space, but attempting to do so provided advice I have benefitted from for decades.


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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Photo Credit: Google Images

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

How to Stand Out in A Cloud of #STEAM or #STEM




When my first grandchild was preparing to enter the 10th grade in high school, I asked him which foreign language he was going to take. He had already completed two years of Spanish in middle school. I was curious. Was he going to stick with it, or switch to something else? His grandmother, me, studied three languages along with English, so he knew there were other options.

He informed me that his school counted Coding as a foreign language, so he didn’t need to study another one. After I recovered from the outrage of equating study of a real live language, its people, music, art and culture with computer coding, I explained the reality of paying for college to him.

There are billions of dollars out there for students who wish to go to college. Some of them are scholarships and grants, some of them are loans. The first two don't have to be paid back. They are an investment in the country’s future. Loans, however, do have to be paid back. They are a way for banks to make a profit.

I told him, in order to stand out in the crowd of applicants for scholarships and grants; he has to go above and beyond what his school requires for graduation. He has to catch the eye of those who hand out free money. He has been taking advanced classes in math and science for years. His grades are stellar. He plays several musical instruments. He wins awards and is a wonderful kid. But so are many other scholarship applicants. His application could be lost in the mass of paperwork submitted by thousands of graduates.

I asked if he enjoyed Spanish, and if he did well in the classes. He liked the subject and received A’s. I suggested he take this opportunity to do what other students won’t. Many will be content to complete the minimum requirements. To give himself an advantage, he should continue with Spanish until he had completed four years in addition to his coding and other computer courses. He did this and now his applications will stand out.

Grandma is sending him links to scholarships she finds online and encouraging him to apply to at least three each week. Hopefully, he listens to this advice like he did the advice on how to stand out in the crowd.


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 cost to you.



Photo Credit: Google Images

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Why It Should Be Easier to Pay for College




According to all long term employment forecasts, most jobs in the future will require a college degree. No matter what politicians say, they cannot bring manufacturing back to the U.S. The reason isn’t political. Most such jobs are now being performed by robots.

This means the current educational level of most Americans needs to be improved. Although nine out of ten adults have a high school diploma, only three out of ten have a college degree. One in ten has earned an advanced degree.

This is bad news for the country, but it's good news for the individual who finds a way through college. There's less competition for higher paying jobs. The number of college grads isn't keeping pace with the increase of jobs requiring a college education. Add to this the number of college educated Baby Boomers retiring in the next few years, and there will soon be more jobs than people qualified for them.

Again this is bad news for the country, but it should be good news for those who plan ahead, do the right things to make college a reality and graduate degree in hand. The best way to do this without saddling oneself with college loan debt is to apply to accredited colleges that are low in cost. It's also wise to apply for enough college scholarships to cover tuition, fees, books, etc. Start applying for scholarships beginning in elementary school. There are scholarships for all ages.


If nothing is done to make it financially feasible for more students to go to college, the U.S. will have lots people in search for jobs that don't exist, and lots of jobs looking for people to fill them who don't exist either.


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 cost to you.


Photo Credit: Pixabay