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.