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Finding Motivation

By Jenna Moede

My last class was tough. I had trouble remembering my ability to handle the workload even though I enjoyed the content and felt excited about it. Now that I have my grade and succeeded in my first class, I have tried to figure out what kept me motivated and moving.

First, those mini goals I set earlier in the beginning of this semester gave me incentive. The goals included reading my book, completing my homework before the deadline, and actively participating in class discussions. They gave me focus when I felt stuck or, when I just didn’t want to do anything at all. And trust me, I had those days.

By celebrating the mini goal victories, I started to believe I could take on the class one step at a time. I know I will doubt my success at times during my program, and I may, at some point, face failure, but I hope the little wins will help keep me moving forward.

Tracking my grades also kept me focused during the last class. In the past, I have looked often at grades but never bothered to really use them as a tool. Following my points earned helped me assess my standing in the class and what I needed to do in order to meet my goal grade which also helped me see how much I’d accomplished and learned since the beginning of the class.   

Grades also pushed me with professor feedback. Each time the professor graded an assignment, I took the time to review their comments, critiques, and scoring rubric. When I studied for my undergraduate degree, I looked at grades only to find out what I had received on assignments and if it dropped or raised my letter grade. I never read or applied the changes suggested by my professor.

Using grades and feedback, helped me boost my comprehension of the content and figure out exactly what my professor expected of my performance. The feedback clarified the expectations from the syllabus and rubric, and my classwork confidence grew because of it. I feel like I have a better grasp of graduate school expectations now with one class behind me.

My support network also helped keep my spirits up throughout the class. I sometimes over focused on the critiques rather than what I had done well in the reviews. Even though I found the value in the changes, I still had trouble feeling good about it all the time. Keeping my support network in the loop helped put grades and critiques in perspective and encouraged me to make valuable use of them.   

While all of those motivators propelled me through a lot of the work, I still just felt myself going through the motions some days. In those cases, I used my long-term goals to push through. I reminded myself over and over (a million times over) why I need to work hard, what I hope to achieve, and how much I value my goals. It worked when nothing else did.

I visualized the big picture and realized whatever my struggle was at that time only made up one part of the path. I also plan to research blogs, videos, and websites featuring people that currently have my dream career to remind me what I want to work towards and why I chose this.

I know the value of motivation when completing any type of college program, but I also know I can easily lose sight of the end goal. I remind myself that I chose this program, and I want to succeed in it. So, I will always look out for anything that keeps me excited and passionate about my choice.  

A syllabus is a map to your class, use it wisely

By Jenna Moede

In the past I have mentioned the mess I had when I didn’t realize my class had an early deadline for the last week. It not only affected my grade for that class, but my overall GPS.

This semester I’ve dutifully studied hard and completed all my assignments so far, but I wanted to talk about one of the most important tools that students receive from their professors: the syllabus.

The syllabus, also known as the piece of paper I usually stuck in the back of my folder and took notes on, matters.

Each syllabus might look a little different, but I’ve listed several items a syllabus could include and why we should pay attention.

First the syllabus will often list the course description along with the credit hours earned upon completion. This semester, I read the description and class objectives a few days before classes started as soon as it became available to students.

Reading it helped me set my learning expectations for the class since I knew the class focus. It also influenced my mini goals for this semester since I figured out how they’d fit with the class objectives.

Next, students can usually find required reading materials and any recommended e-resources, books or additional materials listed on the syllabus. This helps students determine what they will have access to through the course and what they may want to consider purchasing before the start date.

Often during my undergraduate courses, I completely ignored the recommended materials, but judging from my use of them now, they would have benefitted me then too.

The syllabus sometimes includes a weekly breakdown of topics and maybe even assignments. When I have one that lists them by week, I scan the assignments to prepare for the time commitment each week. I note weeks with high value, long assignments and midterms and finals.

Knowing early what’s coming helps when planning my schedule each week.

Sometimes my syllabus has even included my professor’s office hours. Keeping those hours in an easily accessible place or highlighting them may come in clutch when I feel stuck or need a more detailed explanation, and I have already used that resource this semester.

Lastly, most contain a grading scale. I think everyone already knows professors include it on the syllabus, but I really studied it on my first day to make sure I understood the expectations of my new program.

I appreciate that I also know exactly how many points I need to earn to receive the final grade I want. Knowing the exact number makes it easy to see my progress with each assignment.  

To prepare myself for success, I printed my syllabus so I could mark it up and refer to it whenever I have a question. It has become like a map to my class.

I hope other students take the time to look each syllabus over, highlight it, transfer dates to a calendar, and become familiar with it so that surprises in the course don’t have to happen. Doing this has helped me feel more prepared, excited and focused, and has helped me overcome my nervousness of returning to school.

Set small goals to improve your study habits

By Jenna Moede

My new semester started a few weeks ago now, and I’m adjusting myself to the schedule for graduate students which extends from Wednesday to Wednesday. In my undergraduate work the week was always Monday to Monday, so it feels strange to change the days around.

Anyway, when my semester kicked off, I decided to set goals each semester in addition to the overall goals of my program. Usually I share my big goals with my support system, but this time, I decided to set little challenges just for myself to see if I could crush them.

I am trying this mini goal setting because I hope it will make a difference in my overall performance as a graduate student and help me have a consistent positive attitude about my decision to return to school even when it feels like graduation is forever away. I hope these mini goals will be subtle motivators for me to keep pushing forward and provide an opportunity to see how far I’ve come.

I want to find another benefit in this process which is determining which study tactics and process work for me as a student. I want these small goals to become the foundation for good habits so I can focus on creating and celebrating new little successes each semester to form even more good habits.

Right before my classes started, I brainstormed struggles and study habits that I hoped I could improve during my online graduate studies. Out of those, I have decided to pick three each semester that I feel would benefit me the most during that time.

This semester the three little goals I have chosen are: to read all the book material (really read, not skim), complete homework before the due date, and actively participate in online discussions.

When I chose these three goals, I felt they would have the most current value, and they would benefit me hugely overall in my graduate courses because they are such basic steps to success.

In what we’ve covered of my first class so far, the book material hasn’t been discussed in great detail so it may not boost my grade a terrible amount this time. However, familiarizing myself with the book concepts will help my application and understanding of the assignments. I also know that the book discussion varies by class and professor so, if I create this habit, I’m sure it will pay off for me sometime. Plus, it never hurts to learn a few extra nuggets of information!  

For my second goal, turning in my homework on the due date isn’t a problem, but I don’t always allow myself enough time to review and edit my work. In this current class, I have started out strong by finishing my assignments with at least two days to revisit the rubric, instructions and material before I turn them in.

Lastly, I am working hard to actively participate in online discussions as much as time permits. In the past I have been guilty of meeting the requirements and not really learning anything of substance from the discussions which means I’ve wasted my time on the assignments. It turns out that my classmates really do have interesting ideas and I have considered many different viewpoints because of the discussions that I may have otherwise missed.

Ultimately when I chose these three, I considered what I thought would make me a better learner and a better student. I really focused on the areas that have tripped me up in the past in hopes of improving them moving forward.

Like I mentioned before, I didn’t share these goals with my support network because I made them only as personal challenges. To remind myself of the goals though, I did make three colorful sticky notes. I put them behind my desk so that when I don’t feel like reading the book or reading posts, I can remind myself of what I want to accomplish and why.

I encourage everyone starting a new class or a new semester to consider setting some small goals to help you reach bigger goals. These little goals are like stepping stones on the way to graduation.

Need a solid future plan? Seek guidance from your academic advisor

On the eighth day of school my son stormed the counselor’s office and demanded to change his schedule to the most rigorous and difficult track of courses available.

I questioned whether he had managed to loose his sanity in just the second week of sophomore year. But I also wasn’t surprised. He had been urged to choose those courses months earlier. Now, two weeks into the semester, he realized that the classes he had selected were not challenging enough.

He was forced to utter a dreaded teenage phrase, he was wrong, his counselor was right.

I was surprised when she agreed to take on the challenge of moving his schedule which would require extra effort by her, the teachers and him, who now had eight days of homework to complete in one weekend.

She said she was willing for one reason and one reason only: he had found his path and he was ready to take it.

His wishy washy class choices were a disappointment to those who knew him. They advised my honor student to sign up for the intense course track, to challenge himself more. But at the time, he was unsure of himself and his choices.

Over the summer, something clicked. And by the second week of school he knew the choices he had been mulling for three long months were the right ones.

He had a clear path in mind, of a career, of a list of schools he would like to apply to, even of a backup plan if everything came crashing down, as it often does. And on the eighth day of sophomore year, he was ready to put that plan in motion.

The moral of the story? Listen to your academic advisor.

High schools and colleges have counselors and academic advisors at the ready for their students. These people are more than simply someone with a list of courses and corresponding classroom numbers. They are trained to review your schedule, your goals and help you develop a plan that will grow you academically and personally.

They can help you meet your goals. But first, you have to listen to them.

As the fall semester begins, visit your academic advisor. Let them get to know you and you future hopes and dreams. They can help you make them a reality.

And be sure to listen to their advice, and take it.

PenFed Credit Union partners with Sallie Mae for college planning and financing

PenFed Credit Union, the second largest federal credit union in the country, has announced a new partnership with Sallie Mae to offer free college planning tools and a full suite of financing options to help PenFed members responsibly pay for college.

The new partnership includes PenFed Scholarship Search, an easy-to-use tool with access to 3 million scholarships worth more than $18 billion. Members can register (free of charge), fill out a brief profile, and receive matches that identify relevant scholarships and their award amounts, application requirements, and deadlines.

“PenFed is committed to helping our members realize their dreams of attending college by assisting them with their financial needs,” said Shashi Vohra, PenFed senior executive vice president and president of affiliated businesses, in a press release. “Partnering with Sallie Mae, we are pleased to expand our student loan portfolio and provide many new financing options and more free college planning tools to our members.”

Through the partnership, PenFed members will now have access to in-school financing through a full suite of competitively-priced options to pay for undergraduate and graduate school.

“We directly address one of our members’ biggest concerns:  how to pay for the expense of higher education,” Vohra said. “Our focus is to continue adding value for our members.”

The partnership builds on PenFed’s student loan options that include a student loan refinancing program allowing borrowers to consolidate loans after college and save through customized repayment terms and low interest rates.

Additonally, PenFed’s Collegiate Funding Solutions planning tool helps members save on the cost of college education by taking the guesswork out of developing a financing strategy and reducing out-of-pocket costs while in-school.

For more information, visit https://www.penfed.org/student-loans.

Thinking about starting your degree? This fall is a great time to begin

The kids are heading back to school soon. Are you considering your own degree program?

Worried that it’s not the right time? Worried about financing those classes? Making time for homework? Not sure you can make it all work?

Bryant & Stratton College can help you make a plan. The school has a long, rich history of working with military spouses and active duty members and veterans. Every student receives personal attention to sort out the details of classwork, homework and financial aid. At Bryant & Stratton College students have direct access to instructors, academic advisors, academic support staff and military family members can work directly with the school’s Military Relations staff for additional questions or concerns.

What makes Bryant & Stratton College different is that the staff understands the struggles of military life. They know what a PCS is. They understand the stress of deployment and the time constraints that come with being attached to the military. They are also willing to help you navigate those challenges and build a degree program that works with the unique military lifestyle.

Bryant & Stratton College has been named to Victory Media’s list of Military Friendly Schools for the last seven years and as a Top College or University for Vets for the fourth consecutive year.

Degree programs are available both online and at 18 campus locations across four states. Campus offerings are available Monday through Saturday throughout the day and evenings at our campus locations while online classes can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Bryant & Stratton also strives to help veterans and spouses afford their degree program. The $6,000 Salute to Spouses Scholarship is a unique benefit for military spouse students. It can be used in addition to MyCAA and other financial aid opportunities.

There are lots of reasons to say no, to say the time is just not right. Bryant & Stratton College can help you find a way to say, ‘Yes.’

Check out all Bryant & Stratton College at www.bryantstratton.edu  Today is a great day to begin your own back to school planning.

Challenging yourself to reach farther each time

By Amy Nielsen

I am currently about half way through my Master’s program. I say half way because at every turn I keep kicking the can down the road and am now looking at including post graduate internships.

I did a thoroughly unscientific poll for advice early on in my first or maybe second term, asking my friends on social media how to A) make the best use of my limited time in the program and B) survive the depth of material I was wading into.

The answers that came back ranged from, “Wine. Lots of wine,” to “Find a study buddy from your cohort to tie at the hip to,” or even “buy stock in tissues and Pepto.”

My most favorite answer came from a dearly beloved family member who has been there done that. I took it to heart and have enacted it in plan - “Pick a subject and do every project from the perspective of that subject. It will focus the answers to all your assignments to the six basic questions that should be asked of every question; who, what, why, how, where, when. You will become a subject matter expert and will understand much more clearly how the system works as a whole.”

My program is of a medical nature so I chose a topic – a disease - I felt I needed to learn more about because it touched my life personally. It happens to be a subject that is of interest to a large segment of the population of the world and if studies prove right, a rapidly spreading issue. There is a large body of evidence to work from and has been studied for a significant period of time. It is a global condition that effects many different kinds of subgroups. My particular school and degree program give a spin to my research that allows me to integrate material from a wide range of interesting sources.

As soon as I started viewing the lessons through the disease lens I had chosen, it was like suddenly the fog cleared. I understood how pieces of many vastly different systems could possibly react to each other causing greater imbalance. I could see where I might be able to help nudge a trend to follow another slope towards health. I was able to categorize information as driving towards the catalyst of the problem or as a help in maintaining an even balance.

I started writing lots of detailed evidence based discussions and group projects. Remember those long research papers with references in high school – yeah, lots of those – only with peer reviewed sources. It seems like every class I am writing another five hundred word, five APA style referenced discussion post. That’s not including the end of term assignments at easily triple that length.

To say it’s a good thing I like to write is a blazing understatement.

Research and writing are strong suits of mine. I’m like a pig in – um – crap - doing this kind of work. I was tickled pink when I started to see the same authors pop up over and over again. I began to recognize resources I had used in projects for one class that fit multiple classes. I have begun to build a small library of references I know I can use for the introduction section of any assignment. The hard part is differentiating my tone and topic enough on each assignment so as to not plagiarize myself.

I ran into a time crunch last week when I discovered that I had almost missed the deadline to submit a discussion post. As I started to research the topic, several of the links in my returns were that telltale purple of having been opened before. After the third search turned up a significant amount of purple, I decided to check in my files to see what I had written about this topic before and for what class. Like I said, I write and research a lot, and just because I don’t remember writing an assignment about the topic, doesn’t mean I didn’t.

Low and behold, not only had I written one, I had already written two. No wonder it sounded familiar. Both assignments were written about the same substance as used by the disease and how it is deranged in different subsystems. The challenge now became how to write about this substance and this disease in a new and refreshing way for yet a third system. In five hundred words supported by at least five APA cited references - before midnight.

I looked at the two titles in my document list. I contemplated mushing them together into one giant passive aggressive piece of academic slop. But I stopped myself. Because, integrity.

What I did do was take the reference list, chose the two most relevant articles from each, and use them as a springboard to research a new submission. I did reread the previously written articles to remind myself of how the substance interacted in those systems, then took a different position supporting the new assignment.

By working smarter not harder I was able to write a submission that built on material I already knew. I was able to integrate past research with new that added to the references I can tap for the next assignment. Best of all I was able to cut down my research time and submitted the assignment under the wire.

Quizzes, summertime schedules, and post retirement reunification

By Amy Nielsen

My husband and I are on the fence about maybe going on the road with our rv and road-schooling our kids while we both finish our degrees and licensure over the next couple years.

He finally comes to a point where he can retire from government service but still has a couple years left on his degree, while I have another year in this program and then a year of internship hours to complete before I sit for my license.

My program is mostly online with a few on campus classes. One of those on campus classes, that meets every three, has regularly scheduled quizzes. In between we have online assignments to complete. Like most professors, this one recycles the same class materials semester after semester so the majority of the course is already laid out. However, having a live component means this class has more flexibility than those taught solely online. The professor has just assigned us a pop quiz as punishment for not paying attention in class.

Although I am a student, I am also an adult and pop quizzes make me craycray. This is a master’s program not sixth grade. Not only do I expect my fellow students to act like it, I expect my professors to act like it too. If a segment of the student population is not doing the work, then it behooves the professor to take it up with them, not pop a quiz on the whole class on a holiday week.

So now that my delightful professor has decided to add a pop quiz to our line-up, due no less at midnight on July 4th, my holiday week schedule has gone from mildly invigorating to downright insane. I already have a plan in place to cope with my online classes and homework for this week, as we knew we wouldn’t have the week off for vacation. What I wasn’t planning was spending the extra hours studying for this quiz on top of it all. And - it all - is a whole lot this time around.

We - as a family - are still in the reunification process post military retirement. It’s kind of like the mother of all post deployment re-integrations that no one bothers to tell you about. Pictures of post retirement reunification time are all smiles, vacations, and gardens. It’s more akin to that oh so fun postpartum period they gloss over with smiling babies, only longer.

It’s been five years and I finally feel like we are sort of now living in the same household, though he still works an odd hours government job and the shifting schedule has made the reintegration slower. Part of the drive to go tiny and mobile is to allow us the chance to be inseparable for the first time in our lives. Inseparable is inconceivable to most military spouses. We just never get the chance to even try it out.

Like many families, the week of Independence Day is one I like to take as vacation. Every year, the first week of July, a conference is held that hosts both medical professionals and families living with my daughter’s rare condition. This year, with the actual holiday falling on a Wednesday, we finally have my husband’s work schedule sorted out so that we can all go. We have not yet been to this convention as it travels around the country and is always on the opposite side of the country from where we happen to be stationed. Now that we are retired and stationary, the conference location cycle has finally come around to hosting it in a city local enough that we can attend.

My school doesn’t recognize this week as a holiday week. We run on a trimester schedule. We take a month off in January and August. So I have a full course load of work to complete this week. It is also midterm and we are deep in the weeds on our projects. I travel a lot already. I live in the northeast and my school is in the mid-atlantic. I travel to campus regularly for classes. I travel to symposium, gatherings, and lectures that pertain to my area of interest. I also travel a lot for fun. I always have. Working on the road, even with my kids in tow is not new to me.

I have it all planned. While driving out, my husband and I can swap the task while the other reads papers, books, or listens to lectures. Then when we get to the conference, I could do early morning school as I do at home, while he takes late nights. That way we will have one parent available to go to the daily classes, panel discussions, group meet-ups, and fun activities planned with our kids. Being the tenth year, this conference is so big it burst the hotel and they had to close registration. It is going to be epic!

Two weeks ago the bricks started raining. Our kennel called to say that they had a family emergency and were going to be closing the kennel for the summer. So we scrambled to find a place to care for our pup while we were away. We found a solution, but it certainly wouldn’t be ideal. But we got it covered.

Then the RV got a flat in the driveway. Do you know how hard it is to get an RV towed out of a steep single lane gravel driveway? A slight financial panic and the grace of a neighbor with a heavy duty air compressor and we got that one solved.

As would happen, seeing as he is still a government employee, my husband’s schedule got shifted due to budget constraints. So he is now going to be staying home. The kennel situation got better but the parenting divide got exponentially greater.

Driving out and back is not an issue. I drive the same distance regularly. The school work on top of the fun isn’t really an issue. My professor can bite it, for sure, but I’ll cram it into my planning. The kennel closing wasn’t even the straw; heck, we’d just take the pup with us and figure it out – Semper Gumby!

What hurts is not having my husband with us for the experience, again. To not share, again. That even though he is retired, and family separation is supposed to be over, he is not here, again. To have the universe conspire so neatly. Every. Single. Time.

Study says financial aid letters cause confusion at some schools

Confused by how much financial aid you are actually receiving? Not sure exactly how much you owe your college?

You’re not alone.

NewAmerica and uAspire, a nonprofit group that advises students on the financial aid process, has released a report saying that many colleges use language and missing information to paint an incomplete picture of how much students actually owe.

In the study, called “Decoding the Cost of College,” the group gathered financial aid award letters from 900 schools and 36 percent of those never showed a total amount due.  In a summary of the report, the group said “award letters lack consistency and transparency.”

The study did not indicate which 900 schools were chosen for the study.

The group listed these key findings:

  • Confusing Jargon and Terminology: Of the 455 colleges that offered an unsubsidized student loan, we found 136 unique terms for that loan, including 24 that did not include the word “loan.”
  • Omission of the Complete Cost: Of our 515 letters, more than one-third did not include any cost information with which to contextualize the financial aid offered.
  • Failure to Differentiate Types of Aid: Seventy percent of letters grouped all aid together and provided no definitions to indicate to students how grants and scholarships, loans, and work-study all differ.
  • Misleading Packaging of Parent PLUS Loans: Nearly 15 percent of letters included a PLUS loan as an “award,” making the financial aid package appear far more generous than it really was.
  • Vague Definitions and Poor Placement of Work-Study: Of institutions that offered work-study, 70 percent provided no explanation of work-study and how it differs from other types of aid.
  • Inconsistent Bottom Line Calculations: In our sample, only 40 percent calculated what students would need to pay, and those 194 institutions had 23 different ways of calculating remaining costs.
  • No Clear Next Steps: Only about half of letters provided information about what to do to accept or decline awards, and those that did had inconsistent policies.

 

Bottom line, if you don’t understand your financial aid award letter, ask questions, early in the process.

To learn more about the study and read the entire document, visit https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/policy-papers/decoding-cost-college/

Graduate hiring outlook for 2018

Are you graduating from a degree program this year?

There may be more jobs waiting for you to choose from than in past years.

Employers plan to hire 4 percent more new graduates this year than from the Class of 2017, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Surveyed employers said their hiring numbers are growing due to company growth, retirements and the need for entry-level talent.

The NACE report says the Northeast region is the only one of the four regions reporting an overall decrease in college hiring, with a slight dip of 1.7 percent. The Southeast (3.8 percent), Midwest (10.4 percent) , and West (4.1 percent) regions are showing increases.

While the Northeast region projects a small decrease in overall hiring, spring 2018 recruiting plans for employers in this region show the most promise, the NACE report says. More than three-quarters of respondents in the Northeast have firm or tentative plans to recruit on campus in the spring.

Wondering who employers are looking for? The organization says Almost 84 percent of new hires will hold bachelor’s degrees, 12 percent will have master’s degrees, 2.4 percent will have associate degrees, and 1.7 will hold doctoral degrees, with the remaining 0.4 percent holding professional degrees.

The top hiring fields are business, engineering and computer and information sciences across all levels of degrees, associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate. Near the bottom of every list in every degree type is humanities and education majors.

To read the full report, visit http://careerservices.wayne.edu/pdfs/2018-nace-job-outlook-survey.pdf

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