I've Been Accepted, Now What?

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Now that all decision letters have been sent from universities, here comes the even trickier part of the application process. Taking your acceptances and making a very critical decision about the next few years.

Here are some steps you will need to take:

1.  Evaluate your financial aid packages. There is something we can probably all agree on, college is expensive. It is also equally true that the amount of financial aid you get can sway your decision. It is important that you carefully review the amount of aid you will be getting per school and weigh your options.
2. Intent to enroll. Once you have made your decision it is very important to give the colleges your intent to enroll or not. These do have strict deadlines so keep track of them and make sure you give your decision prior to this.
3. Register for orientation. Orientation is where you will get to meet your counselors, get all information about classes, figure out how to register, etc. These are mandatory and extremely helpful.
4. Follow the check list. Much like the application process, the acceptance process has quite a few important steps and deadlines. Make sure you are frequently reviewing these and completing any necessary documents. Many colleges will have a checklist for you on their student portals.
5. Accept your financial aid. The offer you are given through the portal, or mailed, isn't enough. There are some parts of financial aid you will need to accept. Make sure you understand each parts of your offer, along with what is, and is not a loan.
6. Keep in touch with your counselor. The counselors at both your current and future schools can help you out in so many ways. They are the experts on this process and will answer any questions you may have, and keep you on the right track.

Overall, make sure you stay on top of all the deadlines because you don't want your acceptance to be revoked on top of something small. Such as...

Senioritus! It is a thing! And if not the most important, make sure you do not slack off, just because you've been accepted doesn't mean you're out of the woods yet. Keep in mind, your acceptance is pending the receipt of your final grades.

I know you will all do well and I wish you luck as you begin on the next step of your journey. (And good luck on finals!)

Good luck,

Kim

A Message to Incoming Freshman

 Outside is getting a bit warmer and the seasons are changing, people are starting to go to the beaches, summer is right around the corner and graduation seems like it is seconds away.  The decisions on colleges have been made, deposits sent in and now, college isn't just some far away idea, it is real and it is coming up.

I want to say congrats to all of you. You made it, you are going to college!

Enjoy your summer, make the most of it because everything is going to change when you reach college and you are forced to ask, am I ready?

Have faith that you are ready. There are times when it is going to be difficult and you will just want to flat out give up, but the important thing is that you don't. Find a goal, a dream or something and always remember that is what you are striving for. Never give up until you reach your dreams. And if sometimes it just gets to hard remember if no one else, I believe in you and I know you can keep going.

Enjoy your summer and good luck <3 Kimmie

Here are some funny gifs about the application process to make you laugh.

Who I Was in High School

Idea Bank prompt #117: In high school I was…

Now that I am out of high school I can actually write “when I was in high school” posts. Even just saying it in my everyday life is so strange. I think it is because high school is such a huge part of your life for so long that once it ends it is strange because you have to switch gears and life goes on.

During my four years of high school I was a drama geek, a loner, the over achiever, the teacher’s pet and I like to think, a good friend.

In high school I was never really one of the popular crowd or anything like that. During freshman and sophomore year I had “my crowd” that I loved and would spend mornings and lunches with. Most of us were in the drama club together and I feel like that brought us even closer. We preformed a spoof on Twilight our first year and honestly that was my favorite year of high school. It was hilarious and we were goof balls and so many other things that I treasure happened during that year.
During those years I was also a very big over achiever, doing my best to get good grades in all my classes. I also made friends with several of my teachers. I loved my tenth grade core teachers and so many others through my years. It was really nice being able to just talk and joke with your teachers and break that “professor” mold where a teacher is supposed to be distant.

Also, during my senior year I became somewhat of a loner. I drifted away from many of my friends because of how busy I was with AP Physics and my internships. I felt really alone and like I had been left behind by a lot of my friends. I guess it was both our faults, I didn’t fight to stay a part of the group and they didn’t try to keep me. It really sucks thinking about it. During senior year I didn’t really have a set group of friends. I was really close with two groups during first semester then it just kind of fell apart during second. I realize now it had to do with a lot of factors and in some ways I am trying to reconnect with some of those people and rebuild a stronger friendship with others.

It is true what they say about learning a lot during high school. But know I don’t think that they were talking about Pythagorean Theorem, the key points of Frankenstein or really most of the academics. For me, what I got out of high school was learning to survive in the world. You learn how to survive and overcome various challenges put before you.

High school is just the first step on a long road of learning and growing in life. I held so many different titles during high school but in some way, each and every one of them made me who I am today, and I am truly thankful for that.

College Survival Guide: Toto We're Not in High School Anymore

So by now one thing for all college students is sure, “Toto we are definitely not in high school anymore.”

For some this transition can be very difficult, while for others it is a breeze. But as this first year of college for many of us is coming to a close, I wanted to talk about how college life can change us and the differences between high school and college.

College is a huge change from high school. You are completely responsible for yourself. No one in college is going to hold your hand as you go along. You are responsible for choosing your own classes, turning in everything and so on. Professors in college will also not be as lenient as those in high school.

For me the transition wasn't to difficult, however when I was away last semester I was pretty home sick when I first left. It took me a little bit to get into the swing of being in college on a personal level, but when it came down to academics I was on par. I think it is because I have always been pretty "good" at school.

The hardest part for me was getting everything organized realizing that I was an adult now. How did all of you out there react to the transition? Let me know in the comments down below.

For all of those like me finishing up your first year of college I just wanted to say congrats! We made it! I know college can be difficult, you are moving on from everything that is familiar and comfortable into the adult world. Life changes from being a kid, to being a grown-up. We are responsible for ourselves now. It is our job to stay on top of everything, map out our lives and create our own future. We have just completed the first leg of our journey with much more to go. I wish you all luck on the remainder of your journey and I hope that it goes where you want it.

I hope that everything is what you hoped it would be. <3 Kimmie

Proof that Teachers Do Care

While browsing the Freshly Pressed section through Daily Post I came across this post called "What Students Really Need to Hear." It really stood out to me because I am a student and to me it screamed out "read me!"

The post is written by a teacher who typed out this message he wanted to say to his students to explain to them why they shouldn't quit or take the easy way out. He writes about how despite what we are made to believe, academics are not the main point of school. It is to prepair us for life. To make us strong enough to face the challenges that are set before us. Build our resolve to see each task we face to the end. To open our minds to the expanding world around us.

For all those students out there (and teachers) it is definetly worth reading. It is a wonderful refresher to see how much teachers actually care about there students. This is the comment I left on his post:

"I absolutely love this post. As a student it is very refreshing to see a teacher who generally cares about their students and are willing to fight for them. Thank you for that. Thank you for proving to me and all other students that there are people willing to push us to be our best, even when we don’t want to. Thank you for reminding me why I work so hard in school, because it isn’t just about the acedemics, it is about prepairing for the bigger picture in life and working your ass off to be the very best you can be in every aspect of your life.

You have my respect sir.

Sincearly, Kimberly (the college blogger)"

Hope you enjoy and take a second to read his post. Have an awesome day!

Poetry Saturday - Poetry Slam Poem

Ever since we were young,

There is a song that has always been sung,

Adults and parents always said:

If you wish and you dream,

And you hope and you seem,

you can become anything and go anywhere.

But in a grown up world of deadlines and dates,

We’ve learned that this is not always the case.

Here in this land of responsibility and adulthood,

There is no clear path to our dreams,

But instead a road full of bumps, thorns and weeds.

However, it is our goal, our duty our mission,

To continue down our road without submission.

Life’s greatest test, is our ability to continue on.

To push on, to push forward, keep going,

Down that path with no knowing,

No inkling of what will stand in the way,

But still look forward to the future bright as day.

The world may place trials in your way,

But the strength you have can never displace.

As troubled as the night may seem,

Stand tall for the day,

When you will face the world and say,

“Here, here I am,

here, here I stand.

I will fight and I may fall,

But I will survive through it all.

The world may be rough,

But I am tougher

And that’s enough.

I am stronger than it all.”

So we can be anything we wish and dream,

Go anywhere we hope and seem.

Just push on and keep traveling on,

That long winding road to our dreams and the dawn.

Dear College Applicants...

Dear College Applicants,

To my eager college hopefuls, I wanted to give you a few tips for this time of year. By now all your college applications should be turned in, you have sat through the waiting process and by now you have probably already received some acceptances (which I congratulate you on!) and, unfortunately, some rejections.

So what should you be doing right now?

For one, if you have not already completed your FAFSA then get on that RIGHT NOW! This is not something you should wait on! This is free money we are talking about being given to you to pay for your education. College is expensive but you should never have to pay the sticker price. OR, if you are like me and going to a community, you can even wind up getting paid to go to school if you are awesome enough!

Step two: now that you have started getting your decision letters in you should start narrowing down your list of possibles. Go through every factor: campus, class sizes, location, price, EVERYTHING! In the end you can only choose one and you have to start thinning the herd so that you can make that inevitable final decision. Trust me, it is a difficult one because it is a huge decision but, at the risk of sounding cliche, go with your heart and what feels right to you. It is your life and you shouldn't let someone else decide for you...but that is a lecture for another time haha.

Looking back on this time last year all I can say is that I do not envy you. It is a scary time, looking forward to the dread of realizing that you are an adult now and have to act like it. Scholarships, financial aid, and stepping out on your own are all scary steps that we each must eventually take. I know feel like a bit of a contradiction. As the end of my freshman year is rapidly I feel like nothing much has really changed: I'm back at home, I still feel that I am inadequate at being an adult and scared of all the dread that come with it. But at the same time, everything has changed, I have a job and support myself, I have a car payment, go to school and have adult responsibilities.

Life is changing for you guys and all I can say is whether you are prepared or not it will happen. So whether you choose to go near or far it will be hard but it will work out in the end.

Good luck,
Kim

Graduation, An end and a beginning.

I graduate this evening and even though I am excited to graduate, there is part of me that doesn't want to move on. It's scary to move to a new town and meet new people and be on my own, I knew it was something that I would have to face eventually. 

A little while ago on the TV Show Castle, the daughter Alexis gives a speech at her graduation that has stuck with me.

“There is a universal truth we all have to face, whether we want to or not: everything eventually ends. As much as I've looked forward to this day, I've always disliked endings. The last day of summer, the final chapter of a great book, parting ways with a close friend. But endings are inevitable. Leaves fall, you close the book, you say goodbye. Today is one of those days for us. Today we say goodbye to everything that was familiar. Everything that was comfortable. We’re moving on. But just because we’re leaving, and that hurts, there are some people who are so much a part of us they’ll be with us no matter what. They are our solid ground, our North Star, and the small clear voices that will be with us always.” 

So to all the Class of 2013 graduates, remember to take a leap of faith. From here, we take the first step to building our own futures. And sure there will be times when we will stumble and fall, but the key is to always pick yourself up. Never give up on your dreams. Find what it is you want and run towards it full speed. Always remember what motivates you and make the decision to do whatever it takes to achieve your dream. 

Welcome to the future. Here I come.