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.

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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.

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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.

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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.