Is it too late to get involved on campus?

A reader writes:

"I'm a sophomore and I think I made the mistake of not joining any clubs yet. I was just wondering if it makes any sense for me to join a club next semester. Do people generally just join all their clubs freshman year or is there still time for me?" 

Yes, yes, yes, it absolutely makes sense to join clubs next semester. Joining a club or other student organization is a great move for many first generation or low income college students to get involved on campus. And it is never too late to get involved on campus!

Generally speaking, most clubs and student organizations will always be welcoming to new members year-round and there is no perfect timeline to join. I'd say the only exceptions are fraternity and sororities, which tend to have specific times to join (known as "rush") or freshmen-only groups like a support group.

Also, most college students join (and leave) clubs throughout their time in college, not just during their first year. As your interests or goals change, chances are the clubs you want to join will also change. Don't feel like you have to figure it all out now. Feel free to explore different clubs before you commit. Have fun getting involved!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Do I have a right to get an extension?

A reader writes:

"I have a 10 page paper due for my composition class this Friday. I planned to work on it over Thanksgiving and the weekend, but my grandfather passed away this morning. My family knew he had a few days to live, so all week I have not been able to focus on writing my paper. 

Because my grandfather passed away, do I have a right to ask my professor if I can have a day or two of extended time to hand in my paper? Or will I not have any rights in asking that?"

I'm sorry that you lost your grandfather. I know it is difficult losing someone in your family.

Now, do you have a right to an extension? As a first generation or low income college student, it is important to know your rights and responsibilities as a college student. In this case, it will probably depend on the individual professor as well as the rules and regulations at your school. Chances are you can absolutely ask for an extension, but it is totally up to the professor whether or not you are granted an extension.

But if you don't ask, you won't get it. There is no harm in asking for an extension, you probably just don't have an express right to be given one. So be prepared not to be given an extension and take the consequences of that like an adult.

Also, if you are having an understandably difficult time concentrating after the death of a loved one, I would suggest visiting the counseling center at your college. This has two main advantages. One, you can get some support to help you grieve this loss. Two, It can help your case when asking for that extension.

One more caution, be aware that having a grandparent die is one of the most common lies that college students tell professors when asking for an extension. It boils down to being prepared to prove you did in fact lose a grandparent. Harsh, but sometimes required because of all the liars and cheaters that came before you. Good luck.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

The Advisor says "Thank you!"

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! As you say thank you to those that helped you get to where you are today, I would like to give a big, heartfelt thank you for reading Ask an Advisor.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!

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Have a happy Thanksgiving. And if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, have a lovely weekend. See you all on Monday.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Say "Thank you"

If you are a first generation or low income college student in the United States, chances are you are celebrating Thanksgiving this week. During this time when you sit around thinking of all the ways you are lucky and giving thanks for those things, don't forget about the people that helped you get to where you are today.

I encourage you to use this holiday to reflect on your journey to become a college student and thank the people who were influential in that process. Like, actually thank them. Yes, I mean tell them "Thank you!" for helping you make it to college.

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Tell your friends and family, the high school guidance counselor or community member that believed in you, your mentor, or whoever it is. Just tell them.

Maybe you're an "actions speak louder than words" kinda person. So do something nice for the folks that helped you get to where you are. Offer to babysit for them, take them out for lunch, or bake them a cake. Show them how grateful you are for their support.

You can also spread the holiday spirit by giving back and volunteering for Thanksgiving-based projects, like food drives or soup kitchens.

So, say "Thank you" to someone important in your path to college and enjoy your Thanksgiving.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

The turkey dump

Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving, there is a phenomenon in college known as the turkey dump. This is when first-year students return home around Thanksgiving and break up with their high school sweethearts.

Photo credit: from www.turkeydump.com

How common is it? Um, common enough to have a website dedicated to it... Seriously, I have no idea, but I have had a good number of students experience the dreaded turkey dump. It happens, hopefully not to you.  

What can you do if you are the turkey dumpee?

Dealing with the end of any relationship is hard, so I'm not going to lie and say it's not. It sucks. A lot. But thinking rational thoughts, accepting that it's over, and relying on your support network of family and friends can make help make it suck less.

This means when you think irrational things like "No one will ever want me ever again," stop yourself right there. Try to inject rationality into your thinking. Remind yourself that yes it hurts now, but you will heal. Next, you must accept that your relationship is over. Think of your new single status as a fresh opportunity to make new connections, and your family and friends can be a part of helping you make those connections.

What can you do if you are the turkey dumper?

Hopefully, you haven't reached the decision to end your relationship lightly. Although you tend to get the bad rap because you are the dumper, you still need support. If people try to make you feel bad for your choice, let them know it wasn't an easy choice for you (and even if it was, it will make you less of a douche to show some vulnerability).

Hopefully you survive the Thanksgiving weekend with your long-distance relationship in tact.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Scholarship opportunity for Chicano/Latino students!

Here is a great scholarship opportunity for all my Chicano/Latino first generation and low income college students out there:

The Hispanic College Fund announces the opening of its scholarship applications! Applications will be available online from Nov. 15, 2010 to March 1, 2011 at www.scholarships.hispanicfund.org. Scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 and will be awarded for the 2011-2012 academic year.

To be eligible to apply, students must fulfill the following requirements:

• Be of Hispanic background 
• Maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (on a 4.0 scale)
• Have graduated from high school in the U.S. after attending at least 3 years 
• Reside in the U.S. or Puerto Rico (This includes undocumented students also!)
• Plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate, and in some cases graduate, program for the 2011-2012 academic year at an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Puerto Rico
• Demonstrate financial need 
• And some scholarship programs may have additional eligibility requirements, too

 If you have any questions about this scholarship opportunity, please contact Monica Raugitinane or visit the The Hispanic College Fund website.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

You deserve to be here

It looks like I've been an on a self-esteem boosting mission lately... And I guess I just can't stop yet. One thing related to positive self-esteem is reducing self-doubt... Self-doubt sucks and makes you feel like you suck.

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Unfortunately, self-doubt is common among first generation and low income college students when they get to thinking that maybe, just maybe, they don't belong in college or somehow they don't deserve to be in college student.

But don't doubt yourself! Just because you might be dealing with academic difficulty, feeling pressure from your family to succeed, or something else, never, ever, EVER doubt that you absolutely deserve to be in college.

So, this is just another reminder of just how awesome you are. And don't you doubt that!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How to deal with professors who hate you

Apparently, a handful of folks have found Ask an Advisor by searching "how to deal with professors who hate you" and landing on the things professors hate post... Well, your need has not gone unnoticed, so let's talk about how to deal with professors who hate you.

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This can be a sinking feeling that you suspect your professor doesn't like you all the way to a professor being openly hostile toward you. Whatever your situation, these 7 tips can help you deal with a professor that hates you:

Talk it out. Don't assume that a professor hates you. If you really want to know, take the adult route and ask the professor about it during office hours. It'll be kind of like asking a professor for feedback...

Behave yourself. When someone is giving you grief, don't give them a reason to lash out at you by always being on your best behavior. A model student is much harder for a professor (even a mean, evil one) to hassle.

Make friends. Collaborate with other students in your class on projects and assignments (without cheating, of course!). Other students that your professor doesn't also hate, that is. It can come in handy to have students on the professor's good side on your side, too.

Tell someone else. If your professor is really hostile, consider telling a trusted advisor, another faculty member, or someone in the dean's office. Sharing your side of the story is a good way to protect yourself.

Document everything. Keep any notes, emails, and returned assignments and make a log of incidents. You need to have evidence of the professor's evil deeds.

Empower yourself. This is the perfect time to figure out what your rights and responsibilities are concerning professor conduct and what your next steps should be.

Take it to the next level. If all of the above steps don't help you deal with that evil professor, follow the process outlined in your research of your rights and responsibilities. This is the most extreme step you can take, so be very sure about it and have a support system in place to help you through it.

Hopefully, you never have to deal with a professor who hates you... But if you do, now you know what to do about it.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Just say no to cheating

When I worked at my alma mater as an advisor, I had a first generation college student who was almost kicked out of college for plagiarism when he choose to copy and paste part of a paper from the internet.

Unfortunately, I know this student is not the only one to resort to cheating in college. I knew a few folks who would cheat on tests by copying off of other students without their knowledge. I once knew someone who let her boyfriend take a midterm for her. No matter how it is done, cheating is cheating.

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People are even out there making money off of cheating college students. I recently read a confessional from a guy who writes college papers for others for a living. And he's not the only one out there. I also found this guy and an interview he did. Scary stuff, but sadly not surprising...

So what does this all mean? Easy, cheating is bad. You can avoid getting to the point of even considering cheating by sticking to a plan and dealing with stress as things happen.

Remember, ignorance is never a defense for cheating; it is your responsibility to make sure your academic work has integrity. Just say know to cheating!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Get the most out of Twitter

Chances are you know what the social media tool Twitter is. If you don't know about it, this is a great slide show on using Twitter, even the advanced stuff. Either way, the real question is are you using Twitter to its full potential?

As a first generation or low income college student, Twitter can help you make new connections, build your network, and keep in touch with friends and family. But as a college student, there is so much more that you can gain from it. Here are 5 ways you can get the most bang out of Twitter:

Follow your college. A lot of colleges are on Twitter and you can get updates much faster than from other sources. This can keep you up to date on events, meetings, and announcements.Our friends at CollegeScholarships.org agree that you should follow your college.

Be in two places at once. When there's a conference or event you can't attend, follow its tweets to stay in the know. Following live updates is the next best thing to being there, almost like being two place at once.

Feel like an insider. Some stores and businesses offer special offers to their Twitter followers only. You can get the insider scoop just by following the tweets of your favorite places.

Rule the classroom. Twitter can be great in the college classroom, so incorporating it into projects or presentations can give you an edge over students shying away from it.

Socially acceptable shameless self-promotion. Got information, an idea, or a point of view you want to share? Twitter can help you do it, and nobody will think you're full of yourself. (And while we're talking about shameless self-promotion, you might as well follow Ask an Advisor, too!)

So there you have it. Now go out there and use Twitter to your advantage as a college student!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Know your rights and responsibilities

As a first generation or low income college student, it is very important to understand your rights and responsibilities as a student at your college. Generally speaking, every school is going to have some rules or regulations students are expected to stick by.

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These rules can be called a code of conduct, honor code, list of expectations, or another name specific to your campus. Either way, these standards are in place to make your college a safe place and learning space for all students, staff, faculty, and community members.

Along with the rules, come your rights and responsibilities as a student. Chances are you know your Miranda Rights better than your rights as a student. To learn the rules and your rights and responsibilities, review your school's general catalog, go to the judicial affairs or conduct office, or speak to an advisor.

As a college student, you should be honest, behave yourself inside and outside of the classroom, and have integrity concerning your academic work. Basically, don't lie, cheat, steal, make stuff up, or otherwise break the rules. In fact, don't even think about breaking the rules.

It is ALWAYS better to know your rights and responsibilities beforehand rather then trying to figure them out once things are going wrong. Ignorance is never a defense for behaving badly.

Knowing your rights and responsibilities is your best bet to protect yourself, so empower yourself with knowledge!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Resources for Veterans

November 11th is Veterans' Day, a day meant to honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces. And a fair number of first generation and low income college students are veterans.

People tend to have strong feelings--both positive and negative--about military service and college campuses are no different. Even so, chances are that your campus has some resources specifically for veterans and, in some cases, children of veterans who where killed or disabled during their service.

If you are a veteran or are receiving benefits because a parent was a veteran, look out for a veterans services office or a Veterans' Upward Bound program. If your campus doesn't have these types of services, sometimes a reentry student services office will have some good resources for veterans as well.

The financial aid office should be able to help you navigate your GI Bill benefits or other benefits you might be getting and how that plays into your overall financial aid package.

Some campuses even have support groups for students who are veterans. Even if your campus doesn't, you might be able to start one.

Lastly, if your campus offers an ROTC program, you might be able to learn about additional resources for veterans from the ROTC staff.

With these resources for veterans you can be a successful student, too!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Beware of campus myths

Every campus has its own culture, and along with that comes stories and traditions. As a first generation or low income college student you have to navigate this. Another part of this culture may be a set of myths unique to your college.

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In the movie Dead Man on Campus students believe they get straight A's if their roommate commits suicide, and this type of myth exists on lots of campuses. The Curve has a variation on this myth as well.

As an example from my own experience, a lot of students at my alma mater believed that if they had more than two finals on the same day that their professors had to change one of the test times. This is a complete myth, and as an advisor I had to break it to students on several occasions.

I'm sure every campus has its fair share of these sorts of myths and urban legends floating around. So how do you know what is fact from fiction? Easy, you ask a trustworthy source like an advisor. Also, double check any rules and regulations in question in your school's general catalog.

Just because everyone things something is true doesn't make it so. Remember, don't believe everything you hear in college.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

More ways to boost your self-esteem

After yesterday's rousing post on 3 quick ways to boost your self-esteem, I thought about a few more ways to help make you feel like the awesome person you are as a first generation or low income college student...

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Here are a few more self-esteem boosters that I used as a student:

Just smile. You might not always feel like smiling, but just the act of smiling will make you feel better. Try it in the mirror and notice how your face lights up when you smile. When you look at other people, flash them a smile and feel their positive vibes come back to you.

Look good. Take the time to really put yourself together. Take a long shower, wear your favorite outfit that you look great in, style your hair, or whatever you need to do to gussy yourself up. When you look good, you feel good. (This is a great boost especially for midterm days)

Walk tall. When you're out and about, strut your stuff by standing up straight, walking with your shoulders back and head up. This is the walk of a confident person and people will respond to you as such.

Just like I said yesterday, you are awesome. And don't you forget it!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Boosting your self-esteem

Sometimes the pressures of college for can make you doubt how awesome you are, and this can take its toll on your self-esteem as a first generation or low income college student.

When you feel good about yourself, you tend to be more productive, accomplish your goals, do well academically, and have happier relationships. Having a positive self-image and high self-esteem are vital to your success in college.

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With all the good stuff that comes with feeling good about yourself, here are 3 quick tips to help you boost your self-esteem in a hurry: 

Walk down memory lane. Think about a time when you felt great about yourself and what was going on at that time. Try to recreate some of it to relive those good feelings. 

Talk to yourself. Instead of being your own worst enemy, practice positive self-talk. Tell yourself that you are awesome and affirm all the things you like about yourself.

Get relaxed. Put aside some time to deal with your stress and focus on chilling out. Its easier to focus on staying positive and feeling good about yourself when you are not stressed out.

Remember, you are awesome. I hope these tips help you remember that!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

No more weekend upddates

This is just a quick update to let you know that The Advisor will not be posting on weekends anymore. But why, you ask?

Well, I decided to stop it with the weekend posts because, let's face it, most first generation or low income college students would rather spend their precious weekend time doing something other than reading this blog... and I don't blame you. In fact, I intend to join you in dedicating my weekends to non-Advisor pursuits.

You can still expect awesome content Monday through Friday and you can still ask questions on weekends. I just won't answer them until the workweek rolls around. So now, enjoy the rest of your week!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Win $100,000 to give back!

Wow, I just learned about an opportunity from The Life Improvement Project to win $100,000 to spend a year doing a community service project.

You can enter the contest here. Submissions are due by November 8, 2010 so you don't have a lot of time to get your 2,000 word essay and budget together, but you can do it!

Hopefully you are out there getting involved in your community by giving back and this opportunity might help out. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Giving back

As a first generation or low income college student, chances are that your life has been touched by others who helped you get to where you are. This probably came in the form of those folks giving back in some way, like volunteering at a community organization or doing service work.

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I encourage you to do something similar and give back in some way. Try getting involved with a campus- or community-based organization that does service work. Ask about volunteering opportunities with organizations you are familiar with.

If your college has a community service office, visit them for some ideas. Check out Idealist.org to search for all kinds of opportunities and get involved. There are some pretty sweet benefits of doing community service:

• You feel good about giving back while you are helping others
• Volunteer work is totally fair game to go on your resume, so it can be a boost to your career goals after college
• Through your community service, you can make valuable connections who can help you get a job later on and build your professional network
• It might give you the chance to find a mentor or be one to someone else

Volunteering is awesome, for you and for the folks that you help. I hope you get out there and give back!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

The Advisor's reading list

There is a lot of stuff out here in the blogosphere and it can be difficult to comb through. Most of it does not have first generation or low income college students in mind, but can still be useful.

That being said, I have found a few other blogs that I regularly visit and I'd like to share those with you! So here a few of the blogs that I read on a regular basis:

College
The College Survival Handbook
Finding Wood
College Thrive

Career
Ask a Manager
IttyBiz

Blogging
ProBlogger

Mental Health
The Emotion Machine

Take a look. I hope that you can get some good information, insight, or just a good laugh out of these blogs. I know I do...

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Dealing with stress

Do you find yourself suffering from memory slips, tense muscles, feeling tired, headaches, or trouble sleeping? These are just a few minor symptoms of stress, and let’s face it: college can be stressful, especially for first generation or low income college students.

The many stresses of college can influence your academic performance, social lives, and personal relationships. So, how do you deal with stress? Here are 8 tips to help you deal with stress:

Get to the source. Most people deal with the symptoms of stress and not the source. Ask yourself why you are having an emotional reaction. Once the source is identified, you can eliminate, bypass, or alter the stressor.

Practice energy conservation. Do what you can and don’t worry about the rest. Don’t do someone else’s work unless asked for assistance. Learn to work smarter, not harder. Don’t take on more than you can handle. Unfinished tasks are very stressful. Set reasonable goals.

Reward yourself. Do an easy task if you need a stroke of achievement. Allow yourself a small reward for a job well done. Being motivated is less stressful than depending on someone else for positive strokes.

Have a support base. Find someone with whom you can mutually share thoughts and feelings. Talk is good medicine for stress.

Develop a winner's attitude. Be positive about yourself and your choices. If something turns you sour, think about it and accept the results. Positive thoughts are not destructive to your mind and body. Negative thoughts promote illness.

Practice good time management. There are only 24 hours in a day—no more, no less. Work smarter, not longer.

Take care of yourself. Eat properly, exercise, and get enough sleep. You cannot cope with stress if you are unhealthy.

Learn to relax. Set aside special time each day just to relax. Whether it be 5 minutes or a few hours—try to relax!

For some easy-to-do ideas about ways to reduce stress, check out 50 ways to reduce stress in 5 minutes or less from our friend over at the Emotion Machine.

Remember, stress can take its toll in many areas of your life—and learning to deal with stress effectively promotes physical and psychological health and improves academic performance.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How many classes should I take?

A reader writes:

I work 24 hours a week and am in 2 organizations on campus. I need to be a full-time student for a scholarship of mine and financial aid. My question is how do I figure out the number of credits I should take each semester?

I am all about recommending balance for first generation or low income college students, but finding that balance in your academic life can be difficult sometimes. There is no magic number out there for how many classes you should take because it will depend on you as an individual. However, the Carnegie rule can help.

The Carnegie rule is that for every hour of in-class time, you should expect to spend at least 3 hours of out-of-class time preparing and studying for the class. For example, if you have a class 4 hours a week, you should plan on spending an additional 12 hours a week doing stuff for that one class. Use this as a guide to consider how many classes you can manage.

After the Carnegie rule, it boils down to knowing your requirements. First things first, you need to know exactly how many credits are required for things like full-time student status, financial aid eligibility, and other requirements. These requirements, which vary widely from campus to campus, will set the minimum number of credits you have to take.

Beyond the required number of credits, you also need to figure out what specific required classes you have to take. What classes are required for your major, general education, or other campus-specific requirements? Is there a specific progression of classes or prerequisite classes that you have to take?

Generally speaking, your best bet is to start off the academic year with the minimum number of credits. If you find this minimum load manageable, add a class and see how it feels. It will be all about trial and error.

After you've figured out how many credits you have to take and what classes you need to take, also think about how those will balance with each other. For example, try not to take too many writing-intensive or laboratory classes at the same time, unless they are in your major.

Regardless of what you do, I highly, highly, highly recommend talking to a campus advisor or checking out your school's catalog for more information. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Feeling SAD?

Now that November is here, the colder weather, rainy days, and absence of sunlight is here, too. If you think the weather sucks like many first generation or low income college students do, you might lack the motivation to tackle everyday activities. Midterms, papers, and even just going to class can seem unbearable.

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If this sounds like you and the winter weather has you feeling down in the dumps, it could be more than just feeling a little under the weather. It could be Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. I've dealt with a few students that didn't even know this was why they hated winter...

SAD, also called winter depression or seasonal depression, is a form of depression that comes about as the seasons change, probably related to the amount of available daylight (or lack thereof). About six percent of people in the US suffer from SAD, with another 10 to 20 percent experiencing a milder form of seasonal depression.

Symptoms of SAD include trouble sleeping, changes in eating habits, lack of energy, irritability, a lack of interest in activities that were previously enjoyable, unexplained physical aches and pains, and ongoing feelings of guilt and hopelessness. You know it's SAD when these symptoms occur to such a degree that they mess with your everyday life.

For people with SAD, these symptoms typically begin around age 20 and usually return every year around the same time. It is also more common in women than in men and usually affects people in the fall and winter. Folks with SAD tend to feel better during the spring and summer.

If you think you or someone you know might have SAD, please, please, please seek out help. Your campus might have resources or you may find them out in your community. Where ever they are, just use your resources so that you can feel above the weather instead of under it. Bundle up and feel better!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.