3 DIY School Supplies

Happy August everyone and you know what that means .... school supplies time! This is literally my favorite time of year. Funny story ... this weekend I moved into an apartment with my fiance (sorry for the absence) and my mom and I were going through all of my school supplies ... literally two and half boxes filled with notebooks, post-it notes, folders, paper, pens, and so much more! Nonetheless, I am not-so low-key obsessed with school supplies and saving those pieces that have not quite lived their full life. Because of this, I wanted to dedicate a post into DIY-ing some cute school supplies before you head back to high school or college.

All of these items are things that I used everyday when I was in school and college, so I figured that they would be incredibly universal and customizable to whatever you like or what your color style is! Let's get started!!

FOLDERS

How can we even have a conversation about school supplies without recognizing the almighty importance of pocket folders. If I can recall my school lists over the past years, at least 4 folders have been on that list each year. As these can get pretty bland for the older kids (unless you love Hello Kitty and the Avengers ... no shame), I thought we could snazz them up a little bit! 

This first one is just a painted monogram that I created. What's great about the type of folder I bought (less than $1.00 at Walmart) is that you can make imprints on it if you press hard enough, so I drew the monogram I wanted, you can print yours too if you would rather, and then just traced it right onto the folder.

After that I got the paint color I wanted, which was regular craft paint that my mom had in her cabinet, you could also use paint pens if you prefer. Then I just started painting over the indents from the tracing. 

Because my gold paint was on the thinner side, I did three coats on it to have it stand out a little bit more. Once that dried, I added some dots around the rest of the folder to give it more decoration! 

This next folder design was a no fuss one which is great for those of you who want to be creative, but don't have the time or the mess to put into painting a folder. All of the stripes are made of Washi tape (also from Walmart - about $3.50) and you can put them into any design you want. 

The one thing I like about washi tape is that it sticks, but not so much that it's hard to get off if you make a mistake or if your line isn't straight ... it took me three tries! 

NOTEBOOKS

I love a good sparkle, so when I saw this Washi tape, I knew I had to get it to decorate my new notebook. 

So, another great thing about using tape or paint for decorating your notebooks or school supplies is that you can have it be functional, as well as, cute. I always had to label my notebooks when I was in high school, especially with only two minutes at my locker between class, which was really only 30 seconds because of the treks down the hallway and the stops to talk to friends! 

For this one I just layered the tape to cover over the hideous "70 sheets, college-ruled" that is printed on it, and also on the top to make it symmetrical. It actually did take a steady hand to make sure everything was even, but again, luckily it can come off and be re-taped to fix any mistake. 

To add some extra snazz, I added a "MATH" label using the Washi tape cut into the letters. It is a really simple way to add that label that you need without having to write it out in Sharpie. If you have to put your name on it, you could also do that! This would also work with other folders as decoration too!

BINDERS

So, this one was definitely a "let's see how this goes" design. I love the look of watercolor designs, especially as backdrops for quotes, so I wanted to recreate that on this binder. I have to say...I'm quite proud of how it came out.

First, I put painter's tape around all of the edges so that paint wouldn't get on the inside or on the binding (basically everywhere I didn't want it to end up). This actually made it a lot easier when I was painting so that I could easily go off the edges without the fear of getting it everywhere. 

Next, I put a base of white craft paint all over the binder using a foam paint brush. To help with the blending on the paint later on in the process, I put a decent amount of white paint on a small paper plate so that I could add pink to it to slowly pigment it. 

Each time I added a drop or two of pink into the white on the paper plate, I started about an inch from the top of the newest shade and painted the rest of the way down. Then, add another two drops of pink to made the shade a little bit darker, and paint about an inch below the start of the next lightest pink. 

This is to create that gradient effect that water color does. Once I had it all painted and was pleased with the outcome. I put a small coating of polyurethane over top of the binder to smooth it out. (Craft paint can be pretty chalky and can even rub off if it isn't treated.) So, this binder was I think $1.00, but it definitely looks a lot better than just a plain 'ole black binder! If you don't like pink, try blue or green! 

The great thing about DIY-ing your school supplies is that you can completely make it your own, if you hate the color pink, get blue sparkly Washi tape, or purple paint for your monogram. If you hate monograms but love a good emoji, trace and paint that onto your folder. It is all about you so make it something awesome to keep you motivated throughout the school year!!  

If you plan on DIY-ing some of your school supplies, feel free to tag me on Twitter (@chasing_college) or on Instagram (@skylarclapperton). I'd love to see them, you may just inspire my next project!! 

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Marketing Your Summer Job

Hi everyone! I hope you all liked the College Road Trip Series from last week. I would appreciate any feedback about it or about future blog posts that you would like to see, so please contact me through the options on my Contact Page or comment below!

Because we are ripe in the middle of Summer and you are most likely counting down the days that you have left in your summer job at the office, factory, or at that sleep-away camp, I wanted to talk with you all about how you can market your summer job for jobs on campus or even for applying to your first 'adult job.'

In 2014, Forbes released a list of ten attributes/skills that employers believe make a college graduate a successful job candidate. Here is the synopsis

1. Team Work
2. Decision-making and problem solving
3. Ability to communicate with people in and out of the organization
4. Information processing and synthesizing
5. Ability to analyze data (quantitative and qualitative) 
6. Specific knowledge related to the position
7. Understanding of computer software programs
8. Written communication skills for writing reports
9. Ability to sell and influence others (Customer Service)
10. Organization and planning 

You may have read that list and thought to yourself ... 'ummm no, I did not analyze data nor did I use any software this summer.' Which could be true, but you can try really hard to make the valuable experiences you did get from your job this summer fit into those criteria. Let's try!

1. Any job nowadays requires you to work cooperatively with other employees. You can highlight this in a number of ways on your resume! Did you have to work on the same project as someone and divide the responsibilities. While you were life-guarding, was there another lifeguard too who you depending on to watch the shallow end? There are so may examples of team work in your summer job, so make sure you highlight that when you talk about your experience!

2. and 9. These too are pretty similar in that they both deal with customer service and how you are interacting with your constituents (swimmers, shoppers, followers ... etc.) At any point if you had to track someone or something down to make someone's experience better, that is quick decision making and problem solving. Your experience should be written within your resume so that future employers can see how you handle issues that can arise while on the job. If there was an especially defining moment within your summer job where you pulled more than your fair-share, I would highlight that as a great growing opportunity in your Cover Letter!

3. Employers want to know that you are able to talk with your colleagues and talk with customers or other people outside of your job efficiently.  This goes along well with Number 1, but it also works if you've ever done fundraising, had to contact fellow employees in another office, or worked with visitors. If you've ever needed to act professionally among other people, this is where you apply that knowledge. **Also, if you've ever had to present a research poster, this could be applied to this attribute as well!

4. and 5. Processing data isn't always being an accountant or working with a budget. It could be deciding how many tour groups need to go out or even managing the time of the kids in your cabin at Summer Camp. All they want for your experience is that you've looked at data, read it, understood, and then used that to come to a specific conclusion that helps the group you are working for.

6. and 7. So these two may be a little bit more difficult to apply if you were a Camp Counselor and you are applying for a research position, but see if you can find someway to apply it. Did you have to survey all of your campers about the food, activities, or their overall experience and then report it back to your director? That's a great way to show knowledge related to the position. If you are applying to a position in business or education, you can usually use your customer service experience as that specific knowledge. **If you aren't getting anything remotely close to specific knowledge, you may want to ask your director for an extra project or something to better help you grow your experience and resume! Something to also remember, as long as you show that you are flexible and willing to learn, that can replace the knowledge of a specific software system since most companies use different systems!

8. Written communication can be applied from almost any position. Did you write e-mails? Did you write reports? Did you write notes to your students or their parents? Did you proofread manuals for your boss? You would be surprised how much written communication is used consistently throughout any job, just think back on your days at work and locate that experience!

10. Finally, organization is something you need in every job, whether you are hauling lumber into the back of a truck or teaching small children the ABC's. You need to be able to coordinate and keep your thoughts and actions together.  How this could work in your summer job is as simple as organizing the tasks that you needed to do during the day, scheduling appointments, categorizing moving materials, or scheduling when you are going to clean or see different customers. There is organization in everything you do, so think real hard and add that to your resume!!!

So, it may take some highly intense thinking on what you've accomplished so far, but you should be able to find specific experiences throughout your summer job that can apply directly to those ten items Forbes lists in their article. Make sure though that you are making your summer job exactly what it needs to be for you so that you can grow from it in the future!!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Admissions Essay Topic Prompts

Hi everyone! I cannot believe it is already June and 2016 is almost half-way over! How are you coming on those New Years Resolutions? Personally, I have not been keeping them all going strong, but summer is here and I am ready to get back on the band-wagon to a "better me!" What better way to work on those resolutions than by preparing for your future? Today I have compiled some sample topics/prompts that you can use as inspiration for writing your college admissions essay, sample scholarship essay, personal statement for graduate school, or just to refine your definition of yourself!

First, I wanted to share with all of you Juniors or anyone looking to return to college the prompts that the Common Application has provided for this coming year's college admissions application! You can find them here, but if you don't find any of these as inspiring and the university allows you to write about a topic of your choice, read on to get inspired by my suggestions.

Why are your choosing a specific major or career?

What travel experience has impacted you the most?

What will your future look like and how will you get there?

 

Who is your hero and how have they impacted you?

Why is a college education important to you?

How will your talents add to the university's academic programs or campus culture?

What inspires you most in this world?

 Talk about a transformative experience you had in high school/college.

 When you're at the age of 80, what will you have hoped to accomplish in your lifetime? 

What makes you excited to pursue a college education?

Describe how a teacher or coach helped you better yourself.

How have the arts (music, dance, theater, art) impacted your education?

How do/will you give back to your community, currently/in the future?

What is your biggest passion? 

 I hope this list inspires you all to get started on your admissions essay and you work on perfecting them over the summer! In my undergraduate admissions essay, I talked about my passion for community service and how that impacted my relationships with people, and for my graduate admissions essay, I discussed the events that led to choosing the career/program I did!

Your essay gives the admissions committee a better glimpse at what you bring to the table. This is your chance to eloquently brag about yourself and talk about those amazing experiences you've had that fit no where else on the application. 

Do you already have a topic in mind that you plan to write about? Share below so that you can hopefully inspire a peer's essay too! Have a great rest of the week everyone!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

 

 

Facing your Fears for your Future

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great start to your week and are gearing up for a fun weekend ahead ... Memorial Day!!

Something that I think is really great about this blog and about me writing and providing my advice for you all is that I too am feeling and going through the same experiences that you all are. I also am on the brink of a big transition in my life and am facing my fears at every turn to determine what is best for my future! So, today I wanted to address that.

Take advantage of art opportunities in your area.
If you have a creative side, why not enter your work in a contest!

Earlier this week, I was incredibly fortunate to be offered an in-person interview for a position in another state. With it being 800 miles away, I had to fly to my destination and rent a car and do all of that exciting travel stuff! The travel itself was a huge part of facing my fears for my future! I was not raised to be a flyer, I was raised to be a road-tripper, so handling all of the airport stress and flying by myself was so new to me! While I was anxious and nervous to do it all, I did it with grace and only got lost once! (Ironically, and luckily, with my aunt who had a GPS!)

So, while this new phase of your life can induce stress, fear, anxiety, and nerves, it is important to remember that everything you are working towards and trying for is only going to better help your future! Face your fears and do something you would never think about doing or think about trying. College and life after school is all about growing as a person and finding your place in the world. You aren't going to be able to do that if you stay in your comfort zone.

Take advantage of "Share" opportunities in your community
to find new hobbies and meet new people. If there isn't one,
try and start one for your area!

I'm not saying you need to travel around the world to face your fears, but even if it is something as taking a class you normally wouldn't or working in a job that makes you nervous, but excited. All of those experiences are going to make you a better and more interesting person for future opportunities! These can also lead you to places that you never knew were possible!

My challenge to you all is this: Get our of your comfort zone and face your fears about your future. Apply to an internship you never thought about, work at a summer camp to get more experience working with others, or take a karate or ballroom dance class that expands your creative and athletic world. Take advantage of new opportunities and don't say 'no' if they strike a little bit of fear in you! (Obviously, if it is something dangerous or not safe, then 'no' should certainly be your answer!)

Face your fears my friends and see what comes from it!!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

P.S. What are you challenging yourself to do? Make it something that you want to accomplish for the month of June and start planning for it!! Share your plans in the comments below, I'd love to hear!

Five Helpful Posts for Juniors

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great and productive week!

So, I don't like to repeat content on my blog and oftentimes the information that I share is relevant to everyone at some point in their college search process. Because I fear being redundant, I just wanted to share with all of the High School Juniors out there, my TOP 5 posts that would be helpful to you as you finish the school year and enter summer.

Because the summer before senior year is really crucial for your college search and planning, I wanted to devote a whole post to what I think are the 5 most important things to think about during this time. Let's get started!

1. Springing Into Senior Year

In this post, I share the main things that you should focus on as you finish up the school year and before you leave for the summer. These are all helpful pieces of advice to let you leave a lasting impression on the school year and set the groundwork for a successful start to your Senior year come Fall!

2. Jump Starting Your Career in High School 

When you are choosing to pursue a career path that you love and are incredibly passionate about, obviously you want to get started right away on preparing yourself for your career and future opportunities. In this post, I share all of the small, but significant, experiences you can pursue that will help jump start your career while still in High School. With the free time in summer, why not get started on some of these?  

3. To Do: Soul Searching 

Are you wondering what you want to study, where you want to go, what path you want to choose, or even just where to start? Check out my candid post on the importance of soul searching in your college search process. The more you are exposed to new experiences, the more your idea of what you want to become and gain from college will grow!

4. Visiting Campus: Part 3 - What to Bring to Your Visit

Since all of you should plan on visiting the colleges that you are interested in at least once over the summer, you will want to know what to bring with you on your visit. From questions to ask, to what to wear, and the other papers you should bring, make sure you take a look over this before you head out for your trip!

5. Summer Before Senior Year

This post gives you a great overview of what you should be doing the summer before you enter your final year in high school! It is an amazing time to enjoy and make new memories while still diligently preparing for the future! 

For all of you current Juniors out there, I hope this helps you as you prepare to say good-bye to your Junior year and hello to the fun and exciting summer!! Please let me know if you have any questions or need advice on something specific! You can reach me through my contact page here. 

enjoy the chase,

skylar 

Springing into Senior Year

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and a Happy Mother's Day! Thank you to all of the mothers out there who support our decisions and desires to go to college! Ya'll are the best!!

Today I wanted to give some advice on what you should do in the spring of your junior year (either of high school or college)! You are about to enter the transition phase where all of your hard work has without a doubt paid off, so make sure you lay the groundwork for an amazing and fulfilling senior year!

1. Reach out to Recommenders - Before you leave for the summer, it would be a good idea to talk with your teachers and your professors who you think you may want to write your letters of recommendations for college applications or to act as your reference for future internship and job applications. It doesn't have to be an extensive conversation, but you will want to mention it to them that you are starting to think about your recommendations and that you think you would like them to write one in the Fall. This early notice will give them the opportunity, if they choose, to write it over the summer prior to the start of the year and the rush of other applications. If you don't want to mention the letter to them right away, then at least start having conversations with them about your future plans and they may bring it up too!

2. Speak with your Counselor or Advisor - Make sure you check in one last time with your school counselor or your Academic Advisor so that you can start talking about plans for the future. They may have some extra advice for you on tasks you can do over the summer to better ensure your plans will work out! They also may know about opportunities for this summer where you can work or gain more experience in your choice career!

3. Take your SATs/ACTs - For you juniors in high school, you will want to take your first round of college tests. Then also schedule one for next fall too. This allows you to utilize all of those math skills that you are using in your upper-level classes to do really well on the math portions of the exam. Oftentimes, your school will offer test preparation courses or after-school programs, so take advantage of those. Taking your exams before the summer let's you know your average score for when you visit colleges and have conversations with admissions counselors!

4. Prepare for Graduate School - For you college students, use this summer as your opportunity to prepare for graduate school. This could be prepping for and taking your GRE, LSAT, or GMAT or just completing more internships to round out your resume and experience. While this is the "last" summer before life really hits you, you still want to take it seriously and start planning for your future goals!

5. Take on a Leadership Position - Honestly, being a leader on your high school or college campus is really important for improving your people and management skills. If you are already a member of a club, then run for a position and if you are already an officer, then why not run for the President position! Management is a skill you will need no matter what career you choose, so taking advantage of leadership opportunities is really important. Personally, I always started out as a secretary because I loved to write and take notes. If you're better at math and finances, why not a position as Treasurer? Find the opportunity that best fits your personality and then go for it!!

6. Plan to Attend a Summer Camp -  High School juniors, use your last few weeks of school to lay the ground work for attending a summer camp; whether academic, arts, or leadership - based. It will be an amazing experience for you to get that first glimpse of life away from your house. For academic camps, you will most likely need recommendations from your teachers and a transcript, so you will want to make sure you secure those before leaving for the summer. If you are attending a leadership camp, just make sure you have all of the contact information you need. ( I attended Girls State, which is a politically-based leadership camp for high school juniors throughout your state (Each state has one) where you develop the government of a new state. I loved every second of it because it was something I enjoyed and I was surrounded by girls with the same interests that I had.) Look into a program that you will gain the most out of!!

As you finish up your school year, make sure you set the scene for what your senior year will be like! Make it enjoyable and prosperous as you begin your transition into becoming a senior!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Jump Starting Your Career in High School

Hi everyone and Happy Thursday!! I don't know about you, but I am particularly ready for the weekend ... only two more days!! Today, I want to talk to you all about how you can get started on building your career while you are still in high school or college.

Oftentimes, I feel like students are really excited about their future career and want to jump start into it right away. I was no different as a high school and college student. Because of this passion for the field you plan to work in, you should certainly channel some of your energy, time, and focus into it if it is your passion! So, here are some of my tips and ways that you can build your career while you are still a student!

1. Start a Blog - Blogging is not just for the experts and professionals, you too can get started building your career by creating a blog that caters to a topic you are interested in. Every career is applicable but especially: education, business/marketing, fashion and style, engineering, writing/communications, and the arts. For some of them you may need to brainstorm a little harder, but creating a blog that helps you learn about your future career, as well as, establish that you're hardworking and passionate is especially amazing. This can connect you with other people in the industry and expose you to other opportunities in your future field!

Starting a blog about something your passionate about only helps
your knowledge of the subject grow!

2. Find a Summer Job - While this may be fairly obvious, finding a summer job that fits the career you would like is a great way to jump start your career experience. If you are interested in studying art, try working at an art store or gallery. If you are interested in business, any position in retail or sales can really help you gain general experience and understanding about the business world, which will be incredibly helpful. Babysitting is always useful if you plan on working with other people in the future (think: education, speech pathology, social work, psychology ... etc.). These jobs can set you up for even more opportunities once you get into college!

3. Create a Business - You don't need to be 30 years old with a college education to start your own business. Think about what you love doing and what you may be able to offer your community or the area surrounding your home. If you love photography and want to study it in college, offer to take pictures of area families or set up an Etsy account and sell your favorite photographs. If you want to be a mechanic or retailer, offer to help out family members with odd jobs in their vehicles like changing the oil or cleaning them! This gives you customer service experience and great references for once you officially apply for full-time jobs! ( My boyfriend was 15 years old when he started a lawn mowing business, once he had a few clients in his community, he opened it up to other lawn work and landscaping projects!)

4. Volunteer - I talk about volunteering a lot (Check out this post and this post) but it is truly amazing how you can start your career just by simply volunteering with someone once a week. If you want to study Hospitality, volunteer with Relay for Life or with a festival near your hometown, if you plan on studying Education, then offer to help a teacher or tutor some students. The opportunities are endless, if you want to work as a dance instructor or choreographer, volunteer with a local theater troupe and your dance studio! Truly, it is without a doubt a great way to get a jump start on your career and make connections for future internships or job opportunities!

These are just a few ideas, but when you are only 16-17 years old, your opportunities may be limited, so make sure you get creative and ask family members if they have any suggestions. All of these opportunities will not only help you gain knowledge on your career field, but it will also help you gain those skills (active listening, time management, customer services) that are going to be necessary no matter the career you follow. Just remember, you are never too young to pursue your passion!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

P.S. If you are thinking about starting a blog or finding an opportunity in your community and aren't sure where to start, feel free to contact me and I would love to give some ideas or suggestions that may help you!! You can reach me through my contact page!

Scheduling your College Entrance Exams

Hi everyone and Happy Tuesday! I hope your weeks have all started out well and you are being hugely productive with school work and projects! Today I wanted to talk with you all about scheduling your college entrance exams. This is something that may be coming up if you are a Junior in high school or if you are thinking about taking one for graduate school, so I'm here to share my advice with you all!

1. You should always check out that exam's scheduling. So, not only should you be looking at when exams are taking place, but also about how long it takes for the score reports to be sent to the universities that you've requested. For example, most exams are offered once every two months, but if it takes two to three months to get a score report out, it may impact when you schedule yours! If there is a specific deadline to apply to a program by, you will want to make sure the university can receive those score reports in time for that deadline!

2. If you are a Junior in high school, then you will want to schedule to take the SAT, ACT, or both this spring. Typically you should take it in May as that's what is recommended, but you can also plan to take it early in the fall. You can check out the SAT dates and deadlines here and the ACT dates and deadlines here.  **The deadline to register for the May 7th SAT is April 8th and the deadline for the June 11th ACT is May 6th.  Taking an exam or both of them in the spring gives you some time to see how you performed and if you decide to take them again, it gives you some down time during the Summer to focus on studying for them.

3. In your Senior year of high school, you may deem it necessary to take the exam again or try different one in hopes of better results. DEFINITELY DO THIS! I kick myself now at the fact that I didn't take my SATs a second time. My suggestion is to take it right away in the fall (September or October) so that those scores can be sent when you send in your college applications!

4. If you are preparing for a graduate entrance exam like the GRE, the GMAT, or the LSAT, I would definitely schedule to take it in the spring or summer before your Senior Year of college. Studying for these exams is no joke, so it is important to dedicate time specifically to your test prep. If you take it in the late summer, it gives you the entire summer to study and take practice exams. This also gives you the opportunity to retake them in the Fall if you did not perform as well as you wanted!

5. Also, make sure you are scheduling these exams so that you have plenty of time to study and prepare for them. Oftentimes there is quite a bit of preparation that needs to take place, so make sure you allow a few months for that! Personally, when I was preparing for my SAT and GRE, I focused a lot on the math sections, but I was sure to give myself at least three months to work on it!

6. DID YOU KNOW: Most universities will super score your performance on your entrance exams. What this means: If you take the SAT twice and the first time you got a 500 on Reading, a 480 on Math, and a 530 on Writing, but the second time your scores changed a little with a 480 on Reading, a 530 on Math, and a 530 on Writing, admissions committees will use the highest score for each section to "super score" your SAT score. So, they would say that you actually got a 500 on Reading, a 530 on Math, and a 530 on Writing -- this helps oftentimes with merit scholarships or program requirements. This also takes place in graduate admissions for some institutions as well! Because of this, it is always good to take your exams twice in hopes for a higher score in one of the sections!

7. Make sure when you are scheduling your entrance exams that you think about the other events going on in your life. For example, if you know that Prom is the same day as the May SAT and you are the Head of Prom Committee, signing up for that exam may not be in your best interests. If you know that you will be completing an international internship the summer before your Senior Year of college, you may want to schedule your GMAT for the Spring before you leave. You will want to consider what events are going to be stressful and cause you to lose focus on your ultimate goal of performing well on your exams!

8. If you have questions or concerns about scheduling your entrance exams, then talk with your school counselor or advisor, but also speak with the Admissions representatives at the universities you are considering to see what they recommend for the timeline. They may have an inside scoop for their specific programs, so don't hesitate to reach out to them!

Have you scheduled your entrance exams yet? Comment below and share how you are prepping for them in the meantime! Have a great rest of the week everyone!!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Setting Goals

Hi everyone. I hope you all had a great week and are settling well into your classes and getting excited for the events to come this Fall!  So, yesterday was my 23rd birthday and I am using that as inspiration for today's post; Making Goals.

If you have ever read Sean Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, you know that he stresses the importance of Habit 1: Being Proactive and Habit 2: Beginning with the End in Mind. (If you haven't read it, I highly suggest doing so. I got it as an 8th grade graduation gift and the lessons in it transformed my High School and College experience. Parents: this is a great gift for your child or even a niece or nephew.) Both of these habits can be supported by making goals in and out of school.

Some examples of goal lists include:

Goals for this year
Goals for college
Goals for the next ten years
Goals for Senior year
Goals for next Softball season

Your goals should include items, events, and experiences you hope to accomplish within that time frame. Anything from applying to five colleges, to getting three home runs this upcoming softball season. They can be simply worded like, "Get my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing" to "Travel to Italy, see Papal mass, throw a penny in the Trevi Fountain, and go to the Colosseum." These are your goals, not anyone else's. Think about what you want out of life and what you want out of that time frame and commit them to paper.

Setting goals can help you realize your dreams and what you want out of certain experiences like college or your Senior year of High School. Planning ahead can make sure that your experience is worthwhile and you accomplish all that you want! 

Write your goals in a format that is going to make you excited about them. Use decorative paper, bright colored pens, a cool app on your phone or tablet, and tack them to your bulletin board to keep you accountable and focused on what is important. It is going to be much easier to skip that trip to the store when you need to study, if your goal list is staring you in the eye!  

** Don't forget to reevaluate your goals every so often and cross them off as you accomplish them! Feel free to add new goals, too, if your dreams change, so can your goals!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Visiting Campus: Part 4 - 1st Visit vs. 2nd Visit

Hi everyone! For all you upstate New Yorkers, I hope your first week of school goes well! If it is your Senior year, be sure to meet with your Guidance Counselor soon to keep them up-to-date on your college search process!

Today, I am going to be talking about your first and second visit to a college how you should approach each differently. This will help you make your decision to apply to the university, as well as, help you decide where you ultimately want to go!

FIRST VISIT:

• This is when you want to get the overall impression of the college. Find out its culture, what the students are passionate about, what types of programs they have, how their campus is ... etc.
• You can do your Admissions Interview at this point if you want. Mostly this is an opportunity for the college to get to know you and for you to get to know the finer aspects of the college and how they apply to you. **It was in my first visit and specifically the interview that I realized I didn't want to apply to a specific university anymore. If I hadn't visited, I wouldn't have known that it wasn't the right fit for me. 
• Attend during an Open House or a Junior Visit Day. These days are designed for students new in the search process to get more general information about the university. There are a lot of great presentations to give you an inside look at the university, too.

SECOND VISIT:

• This is best during a one-on-one visit, an overnight visit, or during an Accepted Student Day. They can be designed towards your needs and the needs of an accepted student that wants to make their decision. (Check out my post on Overnight Visits here!)
• Insider Tip: If you visit close to May 1st (the National Enrollment Deadline) chances are the university will do anything to make you happy, as long as you give them timely notice to prepare. Use this to your advantage to get to know exactly what you want and need to make your final decision!
• Visit the places that you want to see. Use this one-on-one time to visit the chemistry lab, the video production studio, the squash courts, and the row house across town. If there is a place that is vital to your major, you will want to look at that place at every college in order to compare them when you make your final decision.
• Ask all of your questions on this final visit. You should leave the campus knowing everything you want to know and everything you need to know. Also, if an Admissions Counselor says that they need to ask someone specific about your questions, follow up with them! They know how important it is for you to get answers, so be sure to follow up with them if you haven't heard back in a week to two weeks.

I hope this comparison between your visits helps you, once you get to that stage! For myself, visiting both of the colleges I applied to really solidified exactly why I wanted to apply there. I knew that each university's culture fit my personality, I liked their academic programs, and their campus feel. If it weren't for both of my visits to each university, I wouldn't have known!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

Summer Before Senior Year

The summer between your junior and senior years in high school is the most crucial for defining and realizing your future goals. Here are some things to pursue and keep in mind during the summer as you prepare for your last year of high school!

1. Visit your colleges:  Before you start your senior year, you will want to visit each of the colleges that interest you. These can be through individual tours or through Open Houses put on by the college. Senior year becomes busy quickly, so having already visited those universities while you're applying will help save time. Also, a college visit helps you see if you really want to apply and potentially enroll in that college, so this is an essential time to do that. 
2. Retake your exams: If you need to retake Regents exams, other state tests, or even SAT or ACT tests, the summer is a great time to do so. You have time to study and focus on the aspects of the tests you didn't do well on previously. 
3. Brainstorm your recommenders: Think about which teachers, bosses, and mentors you may want to write your letters of recommendation for college applications. Think about those people who have seen you succeed or overcome obstacles and those who have had opportunities to see your personality outside of the school setting. 
4. Find a job: If you have yet to have a summer job, this is the ideal time to have one. This can be a job at a local ice cream shop, in an office where your parents work, or even working on a farm. It would be great for it to belong in the same field that you hope to work in, however that is not always necessary. (My first real summer job was working at my high school cleaning classrooms, lockers, furniture, and cleaning up the elementary school's playgrounds. Although I did not want to become a custodian or a landscaper, the contacts I made with the administrators, helped secure a positive experience in school throughout my junior and senior year.)
5. Enjoy your time: This is one of your last summers at home, so enjoy spending time with your family and your friends. Follow your passions and make amazing memories with everyone in your life. Senior year can be stressful for most students, so relaxing and enjoying time beforehand will help focus your thoughts for the upcoming school year!

This is the time where you begin to follow the path towards your future and the successes you desire. Use this time to forge that path of dreams!

enjoy the chase, 

skylar