How to deal with professors who hate you, part II

After reading the previous post "How to deal with professors who hate you," a reader writes:

"How do you handle the situation of being cornered in a room with the professor, then they begin yelling and screaming at you? In my case she continues to make me cry, and talking doesn’t seem to help. I have talked many time with this professor only to think the problem is solved. When returning to class again she does the same things, always singling me out. There seems to be no end to whatever this professor's problem is. I refuse to quit and I have only one semester to go before I graduate, so it is either try and make amends or have a nervous breakdown, which is not a option. I willing to try anything at this point."

Wow. I am so sorry to hear you are in this situation--a situation no student should ever be put in. What your professor is doing is totally inappropriate on so many different levels and nothing should excuse such behavior. This professor has also forfeited the right to "make amends" and I feel that you need to escalate this situation by reporting the professor.

Because this is an extreme case, you must, repeat MUST, do these things immediately to protect yourself:

First off, if you feel you are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, please get help to deal with those feelings as soon as possible. Try to reduce any stress in your life. Look for both on- and off-campus resources.

Next, avoid this professor as best you can. If you absolutely have to interact with the professor, do not go alone. Bring a friend with you.

You must absolutely tell someone, like a trusted advisor, a higher-ranking faculty member, or someone in the dean's office. As I've said before, sharing your side of the story is a good way to protect yourself. When you tell that someone, make sure you discuss what you have done to try to remedy the situation and that it has been an ongoing problem. Be specific about the ways the professor makes you uncomfortable.

Definitely figure out what your rights and responsibilities are concerning professor conduct and what your next steps should be. Find out if there is a formal complaint process, a student advocate, review board, or ombudsman at your campus. Then you should engage that process and make it official.

Consider talking to your classmates about this too. Chances are that a professor who behaves so inappropriately with one student also behaves poorly with other students. It even sounds like this may be happening openly in the classroom, in full view of other students. If that is the case, I bet other students feel really uncomfortable with this professor too. There can be power in numbers if multiple students are joining your grievance. It also helps to have a support network in place to help you along in this process.

If you are not comfortable taking this most extreme step, honestly, I can't see any other viable option. As you've mentioned, talking to this professor doesn't work, which is what necessitates this extreme step in my opinion.

Again, I'm really sorry to hear about this. I really hope this works out for you! You should never have been placed in this situation in the first place.

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

College graduation rates: Income really matters

"We've got a problem in that we get low-income kids to college, but they don't persist to graduation," Smeeding said. "It's harder for them to find their way through. They get discouraged and they drop out."

This quote comes from a recent article in CNN Money called College graduation rates: Income really matters.

Although parts of the article may seem bleak for first generation and low income college students, I think it is a worthy read. I encourage you to check it out and discuss what the article has to say.

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

Appropriate study group etiquette, part II

In my previous post about appropriate study group etiquette, I misinterpreted the question. I'm so sorry that I jumped to conclusions, but thank you to the original question-asker for following up with me again. A reader writes:

"My initiative was to get the study group going, at first with my questions in the beginning, but none have answered so far. And if group members do not wish to propose a fresh question, than I  may have to keep the group going by adding more questions to start discussing.

If the study group can propose questions and keep the discussion going, I will be glad if that is the case. But none of them do work, like they are waiting for questions. I would like to confirm that it is advisable to give them all my questions then."

Yes, if other students are not actively participating in the study group, it is okay to try to keep the conversation going by asking more questions of your own. However, it really sounds like your study group is not working like a study group... and I think it's because there is a lack of expectations.

I hope I'm not jumping to conclusions again, but when you are starting a study group, it is really, really important that everyone in the group be on the same page in terms of expectations.

Normally, I would suggest that a new study group start out by meeting and agreeing on how often the group will meet, how the group should function, and what roles--like leader, organizer, moderator, and notetaker--people want to take on. This conversation should also involve talking about expectations, accountability, and commitment to the study group.

But it sounds like that hasn't happened. In fact, it sounds like your only contact with the other students in your "study group" has been done via email. If that is the case, it would be appropriate to email them all and let them know why you started the study group and your expectations for the group. You also want to remind them of your question and prompt them to action by asking for their response.

Your email might say something like, "I emailed you to start a study group as a way to discuss the assignments with other students and share input and perspective on assignments. I would really like it if everyone could propose questions and keep the discussion going. My question is X? I want to know what you think about that or if you have any questions about it, so please email me back and keep the discussion going. Thank you!"

Then wait for replies. Hopefully this will get the other students to be more active in your study group because you are being clear about what you want and what you expect of them. Also, in the meantime while you are waiting for replies, you might want to go to office hours and ask the professor your questions.

If no one replies, consider reaching out to a different group of students, but I really do hope your study group works out.


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

Appropriate study group etiquette

As a follow up question to How to start a study group, part II, the same reader writes:

"Is it appropriate to ask my study group questions of my own only, and repeatedly after the first and the next....?" 

One of the most important things to keep in mind when you are working with a study group is what you want out of the study group itself.  Most first generation and low income college students use study groups as a way to get to know other students, discuss their assignments with other students, share input and perspective on assignments, learn course material more in depth, and prevent or deal with academic difficulty.


All of these reasons for being in a study group are partially selfish, but meant to help everyone in the group. Study group member should be sharing information, bouncing ideas off of each other, and otherwise working as a collaborative team.

So, it is definitely appropriate to ask questions when you have them, but also help answer questions when you understand the material. If you are willing to help out whenever someone else in your study group has questions, it should not be a problem that you ask a ton of questions.

Just don't take over study group sessions and make them all about you and your questions. Hijacking all of the study group time for your only your own benefit is inappropriate.

Honestly, from your question, it sounds like you may be trying to get more from your study group than you are willing to give. Remember that it is a study group, so things should run smoothly if you contribute to a positive group dynamic and share in the question asking and answering.

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

How to start a study group, part II

A reader writes:

"I have always wanted to form a study group on my own, perhaps around a group of 4 - 8 people.  I have replies email from them (all of us do not know each other, rather we have the initial course that we have in common) but didn't know that what to do after that.

Can you give me hints to start the ball rolling? I have an assignment with me, apparently not sure should I just type out the question and email to the group and wait for any reply?"

I've written about starting a study group before, so please check out that post for additional hints to getting the ball rolling for your study group. But I must say congratulations, you have already done one of the first steps to forming a study group by emailing a few students in your class.

Now that you have already contacted a couple of classmates, what you do next will largely depend on what you want out of the study group itself.

If you want to use this as an opportunity to get to know other students and/or discuss the assignment with other students, definitely try to arrange a time for everyone to get together to go over the assignment you already have. Keep in mind the due date and how much time you think the assignment will take when thinking about a meeting time.

When it comes to getting everyone's available times and setting a time for everyone to meet, try using a handy scheduling tool like Doodle to make it easy on yourself. If your campus uses an online student calendar, that might be a handy tool to use for study group scheduling also.

If you want to get other students' input and perspective on the assignment, but don't necessarily need the face-to-face interaction, you can email them your questions, comments, and concerns about the assignment and ask for their feedback. This can be a good way to ease into having a study group without the pressure of coordinating a group.

If you are really unsure about what you want out of the study group, it would be appropriate to email your fellow study group-mates and let them know that you are open-minded to how the study group should function and you want to get their input in forming the group.

Remember, it's okay to let them know that this is the first study group that you have formed. Chances are that another student with more experience working with study groups will help you out. If that is not the case, check out your campus' tutoring center. Often, tutoring and study skills centers have more information about forming study group.

Really, it boils down to being clear about what goals you have for the study group and plan according to that. Good luck with your study group!

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

How can I stregnthen my grad school application?

A reader writes:

"I'm a low-income, first-generation college student applying to a graduate program in urban planning. I scored over 1000 altogether on the old GRE but my quantitative score is pretty low (420). Since retaking the GRE is not an option right now, what can I do to strengthen my application? My GPA is well over 3.8 but I'm a bit worried that too much emphasis will be placed on my low quantitative score."

First off, congrats on your forthcoming application to graduate school. I love seeing first generation and low income college students go on to graduate education.

Now, stop worrying about your "low" GRE score for now. Instead of being preoccupied with whether or not your score is competitive, find out if your score is competitive. Start with the school's website to see if they have any information about typical GRE scores from applicants or admitted students.

If you don't find anything on the website, it is totally appropriate to email or call the graduate admissions office and inquire about it. Ask "What do you consider a competitive GRE score from strong applicants?" and "How much emphasis is typically put on the quantitative GRE score?"

When you do email or call the admissions office, don't go into specifics about your score (unless they ask you directly). Remember, your goal is just information gathering, not to convince the graduate admissions office of anything.

Keep in mind that you should find out how each school you are planning on applying to treats GRE scores. It can vary widely from program to program, even in the same discipline.

In the event you find out that your GRE score is in fact not as competitive as you would like, you can do a few things to to strengthen your overall application. First, focus on writing an excellent admission essay (statement of purpose, personal statement, etc.). You have the option of addressing the discrepancy between your overall GRE score and quantitative score in your admission essay, just make sure you are not whining about it.

You should also focus on getting strong letters of recommendation from your professors. If you haven't already, building relationships with faculty goes a long way in getting strong letters of recommendation.

I hope you already have done some related experiences, like leadership experience, volunteer work, jobs, research, and internships, too. If you haven't, there is no time like now to do something the shows your dedication and passion to your discipline.

Generally speaking, writing an excellent admission essay, having strong letters of recommendation, and having some related experience under your belt will help you build a competitive graduate school application. However, if you decide to wait and take the GRE again later, make sure you know how the schools you are applying to look at multiple GRE scores. Find out if each school takes the most recent score, only the highest score, or averages the two score.

Good luck building a strong application to graduate school!

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

Obama's Student Loan Plan

Earlier this week President Obama announced a plan to help reduce college students' loan debt repayment obligation.

This could be great news for some first generation and low income college students, but what does it all mean?

Check out this article with an handy question-and-answer guide to Obama's student loan plan. IBRinfo.org is another great resource for information regarding student loan debt repayment options.

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

Prerequisites for graduate school, Part II

 In the comments on a recent post on prerequisites for graduate school, a reader commented:

"I have a liberal arts degree in Political Economics and have been researching a graduate degree in economics. My degree didn't necessarily require strong math skills and I'm finding that most programs require credits in high level math courses. Most likely I will need to complete these before applying. Will online math courses from accredited colleges be accepted or is in-class instruction needed? Do I need to check with each graduate program?"

First, you should definitely check with each graduate program about whether or not you need to complete the math prerequisites before you apply. Some graduate schools will let you apply without a prerequisite or two under the condition that if you are admitted you have to take the classes on a specific time frame (usually before you enroll). You won't know until you ask!

If you do have to take the prerequisites before you apply, most schools will accept either online and traditional in-class, as long as the school is accredited. Consider taking the courses at one of the institutions you are interested in apply to. This gives you the advantage of getting to know professors at your potential grad school, which can be an advantage when it comes to applying.

If you are interested in taking online courses, make sure you take them from a reputable and accredited online college. It is worth asking each grad school what they would recommend. Honestly, online programs typically do not get the same respect as brick-and-mortar institutions, so it is a good idea to find out if this is a good option based on what each graduate school is looking for.

Good luck applying to grad school!

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

Prerequisites for graduate school

A reader writes:

"I have a bachelors degree in Construction Management & Design and I am thinking about going back to school for my masters. However, I am thinking about picking a different field other than construction management. My question is: Considering my prerequisites associated with my bachelors degree, what masters degrees would I be eligible for?"

Believe it or not, most master's degree do not have specific prerequisites, but when it comes to graduate school you're actually thinking about this backwards. Don't think about what you've already taken and how that fits into grad school prerequisites. Instead, think about what you want to get out of grad school and look for programs that match that.

 

The most important question you must ask yourself is why are you interested in going to graduate school? The best two reasons for wanting to go to grad school are having a genuine passion/interest in a particular topic/field or having a career goal that requires graduate school.

If you are considering grad school because you don't know what you want to do or want to avoid jumping into the job market, I hate to tell you that grad school is not for you. At least not yet.

Grad school is not the place to figure out what you want to do. Because grad school is pretty focused, you should enter it with a clear idea of how it fits into your career or academic plan. 

In your case, because you are considering changing fields from your undergraduate degree, it is very important that you know what direction you want to go in. Look at the requirements for the types of jobs that you want after doing a grad program and use that as a gauge to help you figure out what areas might be good options for you.

 

This semester I'm actually teaching a course for first generation and low income college students on preparing for and applying to graduate school, so I love it when I hear about first generation and low income college students and alumni wanting to go to grad school. Graduate school is awesome, but only if you understand how it fits into your future. Good luck!

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

Making the most of office hours

One of the best things you can do to help yourself as a first generation or low income college student is to take advantage of professors' office hours and build a relationship with professors. Office hours are your chance outside of class to ask questions and talk to professors.

The following 4 tips can help you prepare for office hours, get the most out of them, and make a lasting impression with your professors:

Be prepared. Make a list of any questions you want to ask about and leave yourself room for notes. If you have questions about a reading or material, make a summary of what you do understand in addition to the questions you have about what you don't understand. This can be especially helpful if you are nervous about speaking with a professor.

Ask good questions. The list of questions that you bring should be thoughtful questions that you cannot find the answer to on your own. When asking questions about stuff you're confused about, start with what you do get. You might ask "I understand X, but I am confused about Y. Can you help me understand Y? What am I missing?"

Find out more. After getting your questions addressed, always ask if the professor knows of any additional resources that might be useful to you. You might say "Thank you Professor Awesome for your help with understanding Y. Could you recommend any other resources about Y to help me understand Y better?" Professors love it when students who ask for more resources because you are going above and beyond your average college student.

Not just class material. Beyond asking about readings, lectures, and assignments, use office hours to talk about current events or research related to the class material and ask questions about graduate school. It's also fair game to ask the professor about his or her own academic path.

These tips will help you do well in classes, build relationships with professors, and otherwise be a successful college student.

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

How can you save money at the end of the semester?

A reader writes:

"I'm on financial aid and scholarship at my school, but that still means I spend thousands on textbooks, housing, and food. Could you do a post on how to save money at the end of the semester?" 

I got this question before my eye surgeries toward the end of last spring semester. I'm answering it now because the time frame does not actually change my answer....

Based on your question, I suspect that you were looking for some ways to make "easy money" at the end of the semester. Unfortunately, money certainly doesn't work that way for low income college students. Honestly, saving money at the end of the semester starts with saving money at the beginning of the semester!

Photo credit: http://qxmail.com/wp-content/

The two most important things you can do to help yourself financially toward the end of a semester is to stick to a budget all semester long and pay yourself first as soon as your get a paycheck, scholarship or loan disbursement, or financial aid refund by putting some money into savings. These two things will help you avoid being cash poor at the end of the semester.

To help you save along the way, you can always save on your entertainment costs, save on buying gifts, and make sure you look for deals when getting textbooks. You can also make money by selling your textbooks at the end of the semester. Some students even go as far as to sell their furniture, clothes, electronics, and other stuff when money is tight.

Really, though, there are no tips to make easy money at the end of the semester. Like I said, planning ahead at the start of each semester will help you survive financially toward the end of the semester.

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

Should high school stuff come off your resume? Part III

I've answered questions about when should high school stuff come off your resume before. This seems to be quite the popular topic among first generation and low income college students (and I suspect all college students). Another reader commented:

"Im in my second year,in a four year degree.Ive done nothing in college....il be applyng for some petroleum company most probably,which does mean leading/working abroad mixing etc. So this is all from school- A 20 day student exchange trip to germany for learning educational and culture differences (government sponsored) and being Selected by my state for learning in an under-18 National tennis camp (also government sponsored) and won junior state titles and was capatain of football/cricket teams and best athlete in final year.Also very good chess player..... can i include these things or they will all be rather called 'sucesses' than 'learning experiences'"

So your first problem is that you've "done nothing in college." By the time you graduate from college, you should have at least three relevant experiences related (at least somewhat) to your career goals. Definitely take advantage of what your college has to offer and get involved on campus, take on leadership role or position, get an internship, and do some volunteer work.

Generally speaking, employers look much more favorably on students with related experience rather than just good grades, so go out there and get yourself that related experience. Start now.

As for the experience you are currently listing, some of it can stay and some of it should go. You can put the student exchange experience under education. It might look something like this:

Education
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
University of ABC
Expected 05/2013 

Cultural Exchange Program
XYZ High School, Berlin, Germany
05/2009

• Learned educational and culture differences during 20-day student exchange trip

For the sports activities, stick with the leadership aspects. In other words, if you are going to list being captain of a sports team, make sure you focus on the leadership skills and concrete things you did to lead your teams rather than the sport-related stuff.

For example, if you led team meetings, coordinated fundraisers to buy equipment, or assisted the coaches to develop game strategies, concentrate on that sort of thing rather than on-the-field activities. Think broadly about your experiences and pull out the aspects about them that matter to employers or are related to the position you are applying for.

You can add an Achievements section to list your sports awards, but these awards should come off by the end of the year as you gain more college experience. Also, only include these awards if you think they will be seen as valuable by the person reading your resume. The Achievements section might look like this:

Achievements
Best Athlete in Final Year award, XYZ High School Football Team, June 2010
Junior State Title, XYZ High School Cricket Team, June 2009

No matter what you're applying for, it always boils down to tailoring your resume for the positions you are applying for. Remember, it's not what's important to you, your resume should be tailored to what is important to the person reading your resume.

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

Pay attention and follow directions!

Warning: This is rant. But it is so very valuable information for you as first generation and low income college student, so here we go...

You are a college student now, and that should mean you are a responsible adult. That should mean that you are capable of paying attention and following directions...

But, alas, I have encountered a ridiculous amount of first generation and low income college students this week who clearly have not been paying attention and following directions....

And when I say not paying attention and following directions, I'm talking about things like, but not limited to:

• Filling out forms and applications incorrectly by misspelling your own name (seriously!) or putting the wrong number from a tax form when it clearly states which line to pull the number from (I get it, tax forms are confusing, but there is nothing ambiguous about "line 27 on the 1040" on a form)
• Going to the wrong room or wandering the halls looking for a classroom when a sign is posted telling you where you should be
• Paying for expensive overnight postage to make sure an application arrives "before the deadline" when the application says that a postmark is acceptable (reading the application just a little more closely would have saved you $18!)
• Asking questions when you have the answer in front of you (this is the one professors hate the most, too)

So, my dear fisrt generation and low income college students, please don't let yourself do things like this that reflect poorly on you. Instead, read everything and follow directions. That's it, really. This is a valuable skill that will help you in life everyday.

And I mean READ EVERYTHING like signs, syllabuses, emails, everything. In addition to that, please be observant as much as possible, which means you have PAY ATTENTION! And once you know what's up, FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!

Remember, you are an intelligent and capable college student and human being, so make sure you act like it... Ok, rant over.

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

5 colleges do well by low-income students

Earlier this month, The Chronicle of Higher Education ran an article about how only 5 colleges do well by low-income students. Yes, you read that right, only five. Epic fail, US colleges and universities. EPIC. FAIL.

Of course, I am (somewhat, but not entirely) shocked and appalled by this egregiously low number. Resources like Ask an Advisor are meant to supplement what colleges are doing... and apparently, that isn't much!

But don't take my word for it! Read the study that the article is based on for yourself. Remember, as a low income college student that is is so very important that you always look a little deeper into so-called research.

I will add this report to the Resources, too. Happy reading! 

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

Should high school stuff come off your resume? Part II

On an old post about when should high school stuff come off your resume a reader commented:

"hmmm. I'm also a sophomore and have a few things from high school still left on my resume. I figure the awards I won in grade 12 can stay on for a few more years but pretty much everything else is gone. I agree that you do need to review and remove outdated things from you resume, because 1st place in your grade 2 spelling bee just doesn't mean much. However I still have the high school diploma listed on my resume. I've kept it this far because I was certified as bilingual and usually end up doing bilingual work... I also have an award from grade 11 when I received the AP level 5 in french... I intend on keeping those tidbits on my resume until I stop working bilingually, which may not happen anytime soon. So I guess ya, it depends on the relevance of the item to the job you are applying to."

I'm glad that you understand that you should be tailoring your resume to the position you are applying for, but there are still some adjustments you should make to make your resume even stronger.
First, you probably want to remove your high school diploma from your resume. Leaving it there risks making you look naive about what is appropriate to be on your resume at this stage in your life. In general, once you are in college you should remove your high school diploma or GED from your resume. If the bilingual certification is important to the positions you are applying for now, highlight that more than the actual diploma itself. For example, on your resume you might have it listed like this:

Education
Bachelor of Arts in French Language & Literature
University of ABC
Expected 05/2013 

Bilingual Certification in French & English
XYZ High School
05/2009

Also, when it comes to awards you won in high school, once you are in college those older awards should definitely go away unless they are well-know and prestigious awards. So unless you were a Gates Millennium Scholar, NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program recipient, or something similar, you should probably get rid of it.

Sorry, that means you should probably remove the AP award as well. Really, as far as most employers are concerned, getting a 5 on an AP test at least 2-3 years ago might as well be "1st place in your grade 2 spelling bee." If in college you have been doing work that highlights the same skill set as your old AP test score, that will stand out much more than the old award. You might want to consider listing your relevant classes on your resume instead

I know this seems really harsh because I am sure you are very proud about your high school accomplishments, but leaving high school stuff on your resume may leave you open to some unwanted assumptions.

Let's pretend your name is Jane. So, Jane, when people reading your resume see high school stuff, they might think, "What the heck has Jane been doing--or not doing--in college?" or worse yet "So Jane hasn't accomplished anything significant since high school." And you don't want these kinds of assumptions to hold you back.

So, that's the mean part... Now the nice part: Keep looking for opportunities to get involved on campus, get leadership experience, and do internships and you will be on your way to building a strong resume! I hope this helps "Jane!"

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

The Advisor is back!

So, you might be wondering "Where the heck have you been, Advisor?" Well, long story short, I've had two eye surgeries and was blind for 3 weeks, but now I'm almost all better. Yay, I'm back! And it feels good to be back.

Photo credit: iatdxbgrade9english.blogspot.com

Now that I'm back in commission but still adjusting to my new vision, I'm going to slow down with Ask an Advisor, but still be here for first generation and low income college students. So that means I will still answer and post questions as they come in, but there will be less new non-question content--something like once a week or so.

If you're in summer school, I wish you a great day of academic achievement. If you're not, I hope you're enjoying your summer.

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

The Advisor is sick

Earlier this week when I went to the doctor for a routine check up, I learned that I had a detached retina that will require surgery... surgery that I will be having later today. So, needless to say, Ask an Advisor will be out of commission for a little while.

Photo credit: http://kidsincludedtogether.blogspot.com/

I expect to be back to my old blogging, first generation and low income college student advising self some time around May 2nd, assuming all things go as planned.

While I am healing, check out The College Survival Handbook for tips on how to take care of yourself when you're sick in college.

Wish me luck and healing and I'll wish you a great day of academic achievement as finals approach!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it (although do not expect a reply until I am all better).

Saving money on college textbooks

This is a guest post by Amit Sehgal, a first generation college student who runs www.bookase.com, a free price comparison website for college textbooks. 

As a first generation or low income college student, you need to control your costs–especially costs for college textbooks. That means making sure that you squeeze the most out of every cent that passes through your hand.

But why especially the cost of textbooks? Because college textbooks can be one of the most expensive parts of your college budget. Not purely because of the price, but also because of some circumstances: Some lecturers release book lists at the last minute, leaving you with no time to search for bargains or used books and you end up having to buy brand new books. Most colleges also change the books they use very frequently, and in such a situation, you can’t buy used books.

No matter what the situation, these tips can help you save the money you spend on college textbooks:

Start on campus. Make a list of the college textbooks you need and put it up on a campus noticeboard. If you are lucky, students who have already finished the course will sell the college textbooks you need for less than the price of originals.

Go to online bookstores. The most famous way to buy college textbooks for cheap nowadays is by using the internet. If you join this wave you will soon realize how unbelievably beneficial this is. In my time, this was a pretty new thing and students mostly just collaborated through email to trade, sell, and buy college textbooks. But now we also have online book vendors with very good bargains and diverse stocks including most college textbooks one might need. I managed to find 90% of the books I needed online.

There are many websites on the internet where you can buy books from. They offer very diverse options. Some websites sell old as well as new books. From some places you can find all the versions of a particular textbook. Find a site that describes the condition of the book in detail as this could prevent many problems. Some sites may offer you an option to get your book replaced if you discover that the book you got isn’t in the mentioned condition.

Get that number. An ‘ISBN number’ can be found on the rear cover of books near the barcode. This number is unique to the book and can be used to search specifically for that particular book on the internet. Many websites sell college textbooks for prices that are extraordinarily competitive when compared to the prices in local bookstores. The ISBN number will help you find the best deal for the right book.

Bid on it. College textbooks can even be found on most ordinary auction sites like eBay and Amazon. This is especially useful if the book you are looking for is hard to find; it could be one that’s no longer printed or maybe it’s one that’s autographed by someone special. You may be able to find books you normally wouldn’t find in other places. To be on the safe side, you should read all the information that’s posted about the product and be thoughtful before bidding or buying.

Not just money. Buying used college textbooks is advantageous not only cost-wise because some books can contain annotations and highlighted passages from the previous user. These marked up used textbooks will more likely than not be useful to you.

Get your money back. You can also sell your college textbooks online, there will be other students thinking just like you were a year back. This will be a great help to them. If the edition you have is new enough, you’ll have very little trouble selling it.

Good luck saving money on your college textbooks!

If you have questions about saving money on textbooks or www.bookase.com, you can email Amit Sehgal directly. Got other questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Improve your body image

First generation and low income college students are more likely to be women and/or people of color. As a member of all of these communities, I know that body image issues are certainly present in each.

With all the stress that can come with college life, worrying about how you feel in your own skin just adds to it. A negative body image can impact your academics, relationships, and general well-being.

Photo credit: http://www.adiosbarbie.com/

To help you deal, here are 5 tips to help you find your inner and outer beauty and improve your body image:

Look on campus. Your college campus probably has more services and resources than you know about. Many college campuses, especially those with women's centers, have programs and services designed to help you build a positive body image. Check out a book from the library about it and read up.

Break the cycle. A lot of the time, the same influences time and time again are making you feel badly about your appearance, like comments from family and images in the media. When something like that happens, do something about it immediately. For example, if your mom makes an unsolicited comment about your weight, tell her that she is hurting you and not helping you.

Look at the real you. Get naked and look at yourself in the mirror. What are your best features? As you look at your body, compliment something about your appearance. This is a form of positive self-talk. If you really don't see anything good about yourself, follow the next step...

Talk to someone. Health services at your college can often help you make a plan to get healthier or offer mental health services to help you feel better about your body. It can be helpful to talk to someone that is not part of your circle.

Get inspired. Look for and participate in displays of positive body image. Submit your picture to You're Beautiful, Dammit. Check out organizations like National Organization for Women (NOW) Foundation and their Love Your Body: On Campus, In Community campaign. There are blogs,  groups, and organizations out there that aim to help you build a positive self-image.

Help someone else. Try paying someone else a compliment about his or her appearance, just keep it sincere and appropriate (you don't want to be creepy!). Paying attention to the beautiful things of someone else and helping support that person's positive body image can help move you to seeing yourself in a more positive light.

You are awesome no matter what your shape and size, so I hope these tips help you to remember that.

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

Will I get into a competitive major?

A reader writes:

"I go to a large state university and admissions into the business department is really competitive. The average cumulative GPA of admitted students is a 3.60 and the pre-req GPA of admitted students is a 3.71.

I tried pre-engineering my first quarter in college and I could not do it -- ended with a 2.60. Now, I took pre-business classes and ended up with a 3.79 winter quarter GPA bumping my GPA from 2.60 to a 3.23. My pre-req GPA is a 3.70. Will the business department take into account that I am a first generation college student that was still adjusting during his first quarter? Should I be worried about getting admitted given my GPA got destroyed by the chem and calc classes I took first quarter?"

First off, congratulations on raising you GPA from a 2.60 to a 3.23. I know that can take some hard work and perseverance, so you deserve some recognition on your academic achievement.

Now, back to your question. Generally speaking, when you are trying to change majors, a department will put more emphasis on your grades from the required prerequisites than your overall GPA. Departments also like to see improvement, which you have covered. But every department is different, so there is no guarantee either way.

Because you described the major as really competitive, your best source of information is going to be from the business department at your college. As a first generation college student, this is your opportunity to advocate for yourself. If you haven't already, go talk to a major advisor in the business department and get his or her perspective on your situation. Ask who the faculty advisor is and go talk to that person as well. Find out who ultimately makes the decision and go talk to that person.

Think of these meetings as your chance to tell your story, including that you are a first generation college student. Don't make excuses for your performance in chemistry and calculus, but do talk about how your adjustment to college was rocky and influenced your GPA.

Do explain that now that you've found business that your GPA has increased dramatically. Make sure you convey your interest in business and how your GPA for the business prerequisites is a much better indicator of your potential success as a business major than your overall GPA.

Another option is to consider waiting another quarter before changing your major, if you are not on a required time line to change your major. Assuming your grades in business classes will still be strong, waiting just another quarter can raise both your business prerequisite GPA and overall GPA. Simply waiting might improve your chances.

No matter what, in examining your application to transfer into the major, the business department will not take into account that you are a first generation college student unless you let them know about it. Good luck!

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

How to network on campus

Making connections with classmates, faculty, and staff is an essential part of the college experience for first generation and low income college students. Building and utilizing those connections is what networking is all about--and networking is going to benefit you personally, socially, academically, and professionally.

Hopefully, you have building your own campus network without even knowing it. Even if you haven't, here are # tips on how to network on campus:

Think about your goals. Before you can identify people to network with, you have to think strategically about who would be best to include in your network. To do this, think about what it is you want to accomplish on campus and after graduation. How are your goals social, personal, academic, and professional? Use those goals to influence who you try to network with. And don't think about it like an "either/or" choice because you can pursue multiple networks.

Talk to people. At the beginning of every class, strike up a conversation with your classmates. Go to office hours and talk up your professors. Meet with an advisor and get your questions answered. Ask department advisors or office managers about student groups and faculty advisors. After a few comfortable chats, ask to exchange contact information and be clear about why you're interested in connecting.

Join a group. Seek out student groups in your major department or campus organizations in your interest areas and join them. Join study groups for your classes or start your own. You can even use these tips to start your own campus organization. If the group has a faculty or staff advisor, talk to them too in addition to the other students.

Be active. Just joining groups is not enough, so go to their activities and events too. Participate in any activities that you can (like workshops, conferences, retreats, and community service), especially early on in your involvement. Really, having a good time and sharing common experiences are both ways to developing strong networks.

Step up. After you have been in campus groups for a while and feel comfortable, consider volunteering for a leadership role like leading a committee, planning an event, or being an officer. You'll find that stepping up to more responsibility within a group will help you build even stronger connections in your network.

Keep in touch. With all the people you are meeting, don't let them forget about you if you are not in regular contact. Send them the occasional email or text message to let them know you are still interested in staying connected to them.  If you come across something you think they might like (like an activity, article, or book), let them know about it.

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

Will being a first generation college student help me get into med school?

A reader writes:

"Does being a first generation college student help you get into medical school?"

Well, it depends... On its face, just being a first generation college student does not make a difference in your medical school application simply because its not information that you provide on the application. But, it can make a difference if you write about it the Personal Comments essay of the application.

The Personal Comments essay is your opportunity to tell your story and help yourself standout from other applicants. Specifically, it asks you do address any "special hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits." If being a first generation college student has impacted you in significant ways, this is where you can detail just how it has influenced your life and decision to apply to medical school.

But, you don't want to just drop the fact that you're a first generation college student without putting it in context. Like I said, by itself it doesn't really make an impact. Remember, if being a first generation college student is instrumental in your path to medical school, by all means go into detail about it in your Personal Comments essay. If it wasn't, leave it out.

Good luck with your medical school applications!

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

How do I stop feeling stressed and homesick?

A reader writes:

"I have just moved to a new town. It is not far away from were i used to live, but all my extended family live there. Sometimes at night i just want to be back their with all my cousins and my Grandparents and everyone. Starting a new school is so hard, and it makes it worse that this is my first time moving schools. Now, at a different school i feel more stressed than ever with: finding new friends, fitting in school work, doing tests and just fitting in with a new and much bigger school!! how do i stop feeling stressed and homesick?"

You are dealing with issues plenty of first generation and low income college students face. In fact, these are both issues we've talked about before, so check out these older posts for some guidance:

How can I stop feeling homesick?
Dealing with stress

Also, it sounds like your homesickness and stress are feeding off of each other, like when you feel more homesick you also feel more stressed out and vise versa. Try to think of them as two different issues, that you will address in different ways. Eventually, as one lessens, the other will too.

You can also try thinking about the ways you would relive stress when you were at home with your family and see if you can incorporate some of those things into your school life away from your family. For example, if you used to play sports with your cousins to relieve stress, try joining an intramural or informal sports team on campus.

You should also to talk to your family about your homesickness and making a transition to a new school. Getting your family on board and making sure they understand what you are going through will help ease the transition. And don't forget to ask them about their transition with you away from home too!

I hope you can feel better and less stressed away from home. Take care.

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

Finding your first internship

This is a guest post by Nate Whiston, a first generation college graduate and Vice President of marketing for InternMatch, an online internship database and career-building resource based in Mountain View, CA.

Internships have become a staple for gaining professional experience as a first generation or low income student. Most employers expect you to have at least one internship in your portfolio—and sometimes they want two or more internships. (Ask an Advisor note: The Advisor recommends you have at least three career-related experiences by the time you graduate from college!)

The big question though, is how do you land your first internship? Here's how:

Build your network. Get to know your professors, parents’ friends, friends’ parents, mentor, and other professionals in the industry you are interested in. Learn where they work and don’t be afraid to reach out to them. Build meaningful relationships with people by asking them deep, professional questions (not just for help). Ask how they climbed to their current position, what challenges they faced, and keep the conversation friendly. Meaningful dialog will get them to want to help and eventually recommend you for internships.

You can also connect with professionals through your local Chamber of Commerce and sites like Meetup.com. Students that go to professional events stand out, which is exactly what you should be striving to do.

Shameless self-promotion. Networking means having to market yourself. Get acquainted with LinkedIn and connect with everyone you know and meet. An effective tip is making all of your online profile pictures the same. Creating a brand for yourself makes it much easier for people to remember you. Furthermore, small things really make you stand out in the recruitment process. Get business cards and always carry them because you never know who is going to walk into the elevator with you.

Don’t be afraid to apply. Applying to 10-15 internships is average right now, though not all have to be focused in your field. In fact, reaching into other business settings can sometimes benefit you more. For example, working with a start-up company or small business allows you to see the bones of the operation and learn multiple facets of every day work. To find more opportunities to apply to you should visit your career center about posted positions or search through InternMatch’s vast internship database.

Stand out in the crowd. One of the biggest questions InternMatch gets is how to stand out if you have no prior experience. Depending on your field, you can use projects outside of school to demonstrate your passion and knowledge of a field. For example if you want to be a marketer or journalist, start a blog on Wordpress. Or if you want to be a programmer, write code and publish it on GitHub. Do something that shows you are passionate and dedicated to a field. Include this experience on your resume and the passion in your cover letter.

Ultimately, finding an internship isn’t always easy but the preparation process helps teach valuable interviewing and self-branding skills and gives you other professional experience which you will use for the rest of your life.

Remember to enjoy the process. For more information on getting your first internship, check out InternMatch’s 40+ ways to find your first internship.

If you have questions about finding your first internship or InternMatch, you can email Nate Whiston directly. Got other questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Calling all TRiO alumni!

I have been fortunate enough to work for two federal TRiO programs to support first generation and low income college students succeed in college.

The federal TRiO programs include Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Talent Search, Student Support Services (SSS), Educational Opportunity Centers, Veterans Upward Bound, and Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program.

All of these programs do amazing work with first generation and low income college hopeful and current students. If you are an alumni of a TRiO program, please support the National TRIO Alumni Association (NTAA) by following them on Twitter or liking them on Facebook.

Photo credit: https://www.trioalumni.us/

The NTAA will strive to build an association that will assist in the fight to advance and defend equal educational opportunity in higher education--and you can be a part of that fight! 

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

Create your own "Graduate School Resource Team"

Going to graduate or professional school can definitely be a reality for first generation and low income college students--and might even be required for certain career paths. A great way to help prepare yourself for this option is to create your own "Graduate School Resource Team."

So what's a Graduate School Resource Team, anyway? It's not an actual team, just a support network of academic and social allies that you can build around yourself and utilize to help you go to graduate or professional school. In fact, the people on your Graduate School Resource Team won't even know they are team members, but they are still a huge help.

Your Graduate School Resource Team can help you with things like knowing your options, choosing a program, understanding the application process, and making you application stronger. Here are 5 tips on who to look to for your very own Graduate School Resource Team:

Start on campus. Talk to your major, college, and faculty advisors about graduate and professional school. Even peer advisors can help you with the process. Head to the career center to see how your options fit into your career plans. All of these folks are there to help you, so seek out their expertise.

Straight from the source. If your college offers graduate or professional programs, talking to someone in graduate admissions as well as current grad students can give you tons of information about your options. And don't forget about TAs--they're graduate students!

Go online. The internet and your friend Google should also be on your Graduate School Resource Team. Start to research different programs and look at their websites for recommendations, advice, requirements, and other vital information. GradSchools.com is another great resource for general information.

Talk it over. Talk to people that will be honest with you, like older friends, TAs, or mentors. All are a great source of information and you can ask them about all sorts of things. Ask for feedback about your writing and time management skills, academic interests, and your strengths and weaknesses. Ask about their own experience regarding graduate or professional school. Use this information to help narrow down your options.

Look off-campus, too. Within your community, look for professionals in fields you're interested in and reach out to them for guidance. Comb your network for potential Graduate School Resource Team members. Sites like LinkedIn and Meetup can help you identify professionals to be part of your Graduate School Resource Team.

These 5 sources of possible Graduate School Resource Team members will not only help you become a first generation college graduate, but they can help you make it to graduate or professional school.

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

Go to a job or internship fair

There are some things you should definitely experience in college, like going to a retreat or conference. I also think a valuable experience for many first generation and low income college students is attending a job or internship fair, too.

Job and internship fairs are your chance to network with potential employers and other students interested in similar careers or activities. Many job and internship fairs will also be tailored to a specific industry or area, like science/engineering or non-profit organizations.

Photo credit: http://matcmatters.matcmadison.edu

You can find job and internship fairs hosted by your school or within your local community. Your campus career center should be able to point you in the right direction.

Not sure how to best present yourself at a job or internship fair? Check out our friend Alison Green over at Ask a Manager and US News for great advice about standing out at a job fair.

Good skill at your next job or internship fair. (And yes, I said "Good skill." Why? Because you need skill and not just luck to make a job or internship fair a success.)

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

The Advisor is on Spring Break!

This means no new posts between March 21st and March 28th...

Phtot credit: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/

While I'm away enjoying a relaxing, fun, and safe Spring Break, here are some nuggets of wisdom for you to make your own Spring Break awesome:

• SafeSpringBreak.org: Safety tips
• Center for Disease Control (CDC): Health and safety tips

Have a happy and safe Spring Break!

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

College Basics: What are office hours?

Sometimes it is really easy to assume that college students understand the basics about college. For new college students, especially first generation college students, this can be a dangerous assumption. So instead of assuming certain things, let's to go over a college basic...

What are office hours?

Office hours are designated times outside of class where professors and teaching assistants make themselves available to talk to students. During office hours students can ask questions and talk about class material, readings, exams, papers, and research.

Office hours are very useful when you are unclear about any material covered in class or the textbook, have questions about papers or exams, or want to ask for feedback.

Professors often complain that not enough student go to office hours, so you should go to office hours for each of your classes at least once a semester or quarter, but I encourage you to go more than that. Use office hours as your chance to develop a student-faculty relationship.

Got questions or suggestions for another college basic? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it or suggest away. 

Get leadership experience and skills

College is awesome, but your academic experience isn't the only experience you should be concerned with getting. I highly recommend that you have at least three career-related experiences by the time you graduate from college, such as internships and least one solid leadership experience.

Really, you should be actively trying to develop your leadership skills. Leadership experience and skills will help you long after graduation, in your career, in graduate or professional school, and in life in general. But where can you get leadership experience and skills? Here are a few ideas for sources of leadership experience and skills building:

Know thyself. To understand what leadership skills you need to build, it's always a good idea to know where you're starting from. You can learn about your current skill set by taking a skills assessment at your school's career center. 

Get involved on-campus. If you're involved in any student organizations, campus groups, or on-campus jobs, these are all great places to take on a leadership role and boost your skills.

Take it off-campus. Internships, jobs, or volunteer experiences are all opportunities to gain leadership skills. Step up to take on a special project or lead a team whenever possible.

Learn from others. A great way to gain leadership skills is to get mentored by a leader you respect and absorb as much as you can. Having a leadership role model will help inspire you to gain more experience and build your skills further.

Showcase it. As you are gaining leadership experience and skills, you want to visit the career center to help best showcase your experience and skills on your resume.

Now go out there are get some leadership experience and build those skills.

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

Change your mindset

When things aren't going 100% your way, it is pretty easy to dwell on everything that currently sucks. You know, like the phrase "when it rains, it pours." As a first generation or low income college student it can be dangerous to be so negative.

But, you might be surprised by the power of positive thinking. Instead of focusing on all the bad things, changing your mindset can benefit you in a number of ways. Here are a few things you get from staying positive, even in the face of suckiness:

You are awesome. When you choose to focus on the positive rather than the negative, it actually boost your self-esteem and reduces any lingering self-doubt that might cause you to stay in a funk.

It's a cycle. When you are negative, you actually invite negative things to happen to you. You create a self-fulfilling prophesy of suck. So, when you are positive, you invite positive things to happen to you. Wouldn't you rather create a self-fulfilling prophesy of awesome by thinking of the silver lining?Yeah, that's what I thought.

You can do it. When you stay more upbeat instead of negative, it makes you more productive. Getting things done will in turn make you want to do more things.

Making the grade. When you're more productive and happier in general, this impacts academic performance for the good. A positive mindset will make you a better student.

I hope you can change your mindset today and have a great day of academic achievement with your positive attitude. 

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

Beware of the "Freshmen 15" and then some

I'm on personal mission to lose some excess weight, and it reminded me about how much weight I gained (and lost and gained and lost again) in college... I'm talking about the dreaded and feared "Freshmen 15," or when college students gain weight during their first year in college.

Photo credit: http://bwog.com/

Some people think it's a myth, but I think it is the sort of thing does exist in some form that varies widely for individual students... and not just during your first year in college, but throughout the ups and downs of being a college student.

Let me tell you, in my own experience, I gained a whole 27 pounds my first year as a first generation and low income college student. I had friends gain up to 60 pounds in college. But I had friends lose a bunch of weight in college as well.

So what accounts for the Freshmen 15 and other weight loss and gain while you're a college student? Here are a few things to keep in mind to avoid gaining or losing an unhealthy amount of weight in college:

Don't stress out. Not dealing with stress can lead to weight gain and loss, so it is something that you have to address. Make sure you give yourself a regular outlet for stress relief and take care of yourself.

Drop it like a bad habit. Not maintaining healthy habits is another culprit in weight gain and loss. If you're away from home for the first time, resist the urge to be completely lazy just because you can. Eating a healthy balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly go a long way in maintaining a healthy weight.

Don't overdo it. New found freedom and independence can lead some students to over-indulge in things all-you-can-eat cafeteria food or alcohol. Remember, all things in moderation and be safe.

Make a plan. If you're trying to lose (or gain) weight, you should make a feasible plan to make it happen. Talk to a doctor or health services at your campus to help you develop a healthy and achievable fitness plan.

Get support. To help you stick to your new fitness plan, have a support network in place. Joining forces with supportive friends who are also trying to shed a few pounds can help keep you motivated. Check out health services at your college to see if they offer support groups.

Health concerns. Sometimes getting sick in college can really mess you up. Everything from a simple cold to a life-altering diagnosis can influence your weight in college. Bottom line, if you are not feeling well and have noticed changes in your appetite or weight, it is time to see a doctor.

I hope these tips help you prevent and reverse the Freshman 15. Stay healthy!

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

Go to the doctor

For many low income college students, you might not have had consistent health care or insurance before entering college. Most college campuses require you to carry health insurance or offer student health insurance, so take advantage of it.

Photo credit: http://www.eduinreview.com/

Here are a few things to keep in mind about meeting your health care needs in college:

Make it routine. Whenever you get sick, take care of yourself as soon as possible. Make an appointment or call an advice nurse for minor issues or routine health stuff like an annual check up or woman's health concerns.

Do your research. Check out your community resources for free or low-cost clinics. Some schools even have student-run clinics, especially if your college has a medical school attached to it, so research what your resources are before you get sick.

Have a back up plan. I know some low income student say things like "If I get hurt or really sick, don't call an ambulance because I can't afford it." I definitely said something like this more than once, but you have to put your health first. Just in case, make sure you have an "on-call" friend or family member with a car who is down to take you to the hospital in an emergency.

These easy to follow tips will help you take care of yourself and stay healthy!

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

How to build relationships with professors

Sometimes you love your professors and sometimes you hate them. Sometimes they love you as a student and sometimes they don't. No matter how you feel about professors it is important to build relationships with professors.

Why? Because when you need a letter of recommendation for a scholarship or graduate school application, you need to have a healthy professor-student relationship to get a strong letter. Because when professors need student assistants or know about cool internships, they often go to the students they know first.

On top of that, professors can be awesome if you get to know them and let them get to know you. Here are 5 tips to help you build strong relationships with your professors:

Know your interests. Before you can make nice with your professors, you need to know what you are interested in. Think about what you might want to study in graduate school, what kind of career would you like to pursue, and what your personal philosophy about education.

Find out more. Now that you know your interests, seek out professors with similar research interests, career experiences, or personal philosophy. You can find out more about professors by looking at department websites and reading any of their published work like articles or textbooks. Take classes with professors you might want to connect with and go to their office hours to learn about their philosophy.

Keep it up. Don't just go to office hours once or twice and think you have a strong relationship. To keep your relationship with your professors alive, you should stay in contact with professors throughout the semester or quarter. Email professors for suggestions of articles or books to read and after you've read whatever they suggested discuss it with them. Ask them about research or internship opportunities. You have to work to maintain the relationship.

Not just professors. Don't forget about about your Teaching Assistants (TAs) or Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs). They will be professors some day and are often easier to relate to than professors. And if you aren't as close to your professors but have a good relationship with TAs and GSIs, they can help you get to know your professors better.

By the numbers. To get the most out of your relationships with professors, you should maintain at least three strong relationships with professors at your school. If you are a transfer student, you should be maintaining relationships with both professors at your previous school and transfer institution.

Put yourself out there and build strong relationships with your professors.

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

Go to a conference or retreat

For the past few days, I've actually been attending a conference for educational opportunity professionals like myself, who are passionate about working with first generation and low income college students and college hopefuls. The conference was awesome.

So why should you care that I went to an awesome conference? Because it reminded me just how enriching this sort of experience can be for first generation and low income college students. I highly recommend that you attend at least one conference and/or retreat as a college student.

When I was a student, I had the opportunity to go to a few conferences and retreats. Let me tell you that those conferences and retreats were awesome, too. I would come back from them all excited about what I had learned and eager to put my new education into action.

Conferences and retreats are a great networking opportunity and a chance to learn something new. They are also fair game to be listed on your resume if related to what you are applying for. Some conferences or retreats are even set up to let students present a workshop or session, which also looks good on a resume or graduate school application and gives you valuable communication skills.

One caveat is that conferences and retreats cost money. But, look out for fee waiver, scholarship, or student discounts options. You can save money by budgeting for it ahead of time, sharing expenses with friends, and picking shorter conferences. Heck, you can even fundraise to get yourself there.

All in all, go to a conference or retreat. You'll thank me later.

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

College Basics: Expected self-sufficiency

Sometimes it is really easy to assume that college students understand the basics about college. For new college students, especially first generation college students, this can be a dangerous assumption. So instead of assuming certain things, let's to go over a college basic...

College students are expected to be self-sufficient.

Welcome to higher education, you're now supposed to be a self-sufficient adult. In college, self-sufficiency means that you are responsible for you own education. You set your schedule, pick out your own classes, make sure you understand and meet your graduation requirements, and take the initiative to get help when you need it.
 
Professors, college advisors, and the college system in general expect you to take responsibility for your own learning. This may sound harsh, but it is all on you as a college student. But, don't fret because you can succeed.

Got questions or suggestions for another college basic? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it or suggest away. 

Have high expectations for yourself

This is a short one, just to help boost your self-esteem mid-semester:

High expectations from others like professors and advisors have a positive impact on the success of first generation and low income college student. So does holding yourself to high expectations.When you expect yourself to succeed, it often gives you the mental and emotional boost to achieve your goals.

Don't underestimate yourself and your ability to succeed as a college student. You deserve to be in college and have earned it. Have a great day of academic achievement!

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