One thing a prospective freshman will hear over and over before going off to college is “It’s nothing like high school.” Students never really understand this comment until they are actually on campus.

College is all about becoming an adult and living your life to the best of your ability. Gone are the “popular kids,” and the “cool table” in the cafeteria. You don’t have that freshman hazing scene in college. In high school the frosh are the low kids on the totem pole. In college there are so many orientations, mixers and meet-and-greets that it’s easy to build new friendships before the school year even starts.

Upper-classmen enjoy the fresh faces and new personalities of the freshman crowd. The biggest shocker of all is usually the amount of personal freedom involved in the learning process. In high school Mr. Smith, the English teacher, will hand out a sheet of notes and give a lecture that you are expected to spit back out word for word on the test. In college, Professor Smith will give her lecture an may very well ask for your opinion. There wont be any phone calls if you miss class three days this week and you’ll still be expected to take the test and pass it. There is no one to hold your hand or walk you through your classes. You are there because you want to be and what you get out of it is up to you. Because you pay for the privilege of going to college its up to you to get your money’s worth.

The personal freedom shocker stretches into your social calendar as well. Not only are there a plethora of dances, clubs, organizations, meetings groups and events to choose from nightly but your also faced with your classes and academic responsibilities. Its sometimes hard to know when to put a damper on the nightlife and get back to the books.

In high school, most of the people you attend class with are lifelong residents of the town. People you grew up with. People who have the same beliefs and background that you do. Chances are you go to church with these same people and your parents went to church with their parents. In college it is very likely that you will meet someone from across the state, across the country or across the world. You will hear and see vastly different ideas and cultural stand points than your own. Its a wonderful learning experience and part of what makes your college experience uniquely your own.

The differences in high school and college can be scary, but rest assured it will take no time at all to feel adjusted and comfortable in your new environment. These are the days that will create memories that last a lifetime.

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Go Into The Summer Proud Of What You’ve Accomplished
Study hard! The first piece of advice you should hear about having an enjoyable summer is that you should work hard in school BEFORE your summer vacation. Go into the summer break as a triumphant young scholar who has had victory over every exam and paper they threw at you over the course of the school year. Of course, you can still have a great summer even if you got a D in physics, but you’ll have an even better one if you buckle down and get that B, or A.

Make Sure You Enjoy Your Summer By Planning It
How will you plan this summer when you’re busy studying for physics? Especially if you’re having a challenging year at school, you might not have a lot of free time. However, the most enjoyable summers take a little planning, and you want one, right? You also deserve it. So, the next time you catch yourself daydreaming about when all of your homework will finally all be over, switch over to a productive mode and make that dream a reality.

Vacation Getaways
If you’re chained to your computer this semester, or stuck in the library 24/7, you might be fantasizing about the perfect vacation. If you start your plans early enough, even if you don’t have a lot of money, you and your friends can have a great time. Figure out where you’d like to go and start a savings plan. If you don’t have a job, you can probably get one that will fit into your busy schedule if you stop by the career services office.

Volunteer Opportunities and Internships and Your Ever Increasingly Important Resume
As long as you’re at the career services office, maybe you should look into work for the summer as well. While it’s true that you’ve already worked hard all through the school year and the idea of work during your vacation might not be so appealing to you, consider this: the work that you do this summer, if you do it, will not require you to write papers or do homework in all likelihood. It will be a different kind of work, and because you’re choosing it, it will probably be more fun than what your physics professor makes you do. Equally important (at least), any work that you do during your summers in college will help you down the road when it’s time to apply for jobs after graduation. If you do an internship or a volunteer position in a field you like, your experience will make you a stronger applicant when you’re applying for a job in that field. And, if you happen to think an industry sounds great, take an internship in it, and find out it’s not for you, that’s information you should be very glad to have.

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College life can be tense and a bit stressful at times. Students who excel in college are self-disciplined and know how to manage their time. The constant managing of time and priorities does not suddenly stop when your vacation starts—it’s an ongoing process.

Here are 10 ways that you can maximize your time when you are off from school:

1. Review what you have learned
Although your classes may all be completed for the quarter (or the semester), it’s not a bad idea to review what you’ve just learned over the course of many weeks. Reread your notes, papers, tests and skim through the books you’ve just read. Finalize the imprinting of fresh information in your mind so that you can retain what you’ve learned over the long term.

2. Read ahead
If you already know what courses you will be taking in the upcoming quarter, start reading ahead. If you are going to have some time to kill, might as well get a jump start on your upcoming classes. Contact your professors and collect copies of syllabi. Purchase your materials and begin reviewing them before your class begins.

3. Go back to your roots and reconnect with family and friends
Go home. Say hi to the family and reconnect with old friends. College isn’t about severing all of your previous ties. Keep up your network and pay the people you love a visit.

4. Stick around and explore the town
Forget about going home. Stick around and explore your college town. Find new places to buy groceries and new bars to frequent. Take a mini-road trip to some nearby destination that you’ve always wanted to see. Take your time off of school as an opportunity to experience your surroundings.

5. Travel
Drive cross-country or travel abroad. See the world, or a tiny piece of it. Take your new outlook on life and expose yourself to different peoples and places. Visit a destination or place of interest that you have just studied. Travel with a partner, in a group, or go venturing off on your own.

6. Get an internship
Find an internship in the field that you are studying. Supplement your classroom work with real life on-the-job training. This way when you graduate, you will already have solid academic and professional experience.

7. Lay the groundwork for future employment.
Explore your career interests. Market yourself and your abilities. Try to find an organization that you want to target for employment once you’ve graduated. Find out what the minimum professional and educational requirements are for the specific job that you are interested in. Take measures to fulfill those requirements before you graduate.

8. Explore the course catalog and schedule of classes
Get lost in the pages of your course catalog. Map out different schedule scenarios. Find out if that class you really want to take is offered in alternate academic years, and then plan your schedule accordingly. Pick a focus in your major and consider all the courses that you’d like to take. You’ll be surprised how quickly your time in school will fly by, so you need to construct a solid schedule.

9. Apply for scholarships
Find some more money. Buy a book or do Internet research. Apply for as many scholarships as you can. Each application may seem like a bit of a hassle, but the results could seriously alleviate any financial burdens you may have accrued.

10. Just relax and take a break
Don’t do a damn thing! You’ve spent months cramming, pulling off all-nighters, and wowing you professors with your polished intellectual abilities. You’ve earned a break, so enjoy it, and come back to school refreshed and ready for anything.

If you utilize your vacations properly, you will be a better student. Just remember not to stress out too much. Whether you are in school or not, you are in control of your life, so make the most of it.

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Academic scholarships are an easy way to use your academic success to pay for college. Taking advantage of these can be incredibly easy, provided that you are able and willing to submit applications notifying whomever is awarding scholarships about your academic ability. There are some common mishaps that might keep you from gaining access to that free money.

Review the application entirely. This is the first step in avoiding the disqualification of your application. Read over it before filling or signing anything. Review the requirements to complete, submit the application along with whatever supplemental documentation might be required. This can include, but is not limited to, transcripts, and essays. Make sure that you have plenty of copies of these documents handy to send off with all of your scholarship applications.

Do not confine your eligibility to one scholarship application. Find many academic scholarships for which you might be eligible. Apply for all of them. You might not make the finalist list for one, but you will for others. Give yourself as many opportunities as possible to get that free money!

When you have an application, fill it out completely. Make sure you have read it through and provided complete and accurate information. There are countless applications that are disqualified because the applicant cannot be contacted with the given information. Make sure to be very observant of what you are typing or writing and maybe even ask a friend or family member to proofread the items for you.

Another common mistake when completing applications is to apply for scholarships for which you are not eligible. This wastes your time, the evaluating committee’s time and that certainly won’t get you a scholarship, especially if you do not have the proper required credentials.

Remember, you are trying to apply for an academic scholarship. The application is your chance to shine! Check for completeness, grammar, spelling, accuracy and that you have all the right supporting documentation. Do not include things that have not been required, such as a photo of yourself or a non-essential essay. Many academic scholarships are reviewed by committees of people who review applications. They won’t read anything that isn’t part of the application. The application phase shows that you are organized, punctual and capable of following directions. Show them what you’ve got and they will show you the money!

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The information age has ushered in the popularity and acceptance of online correspondence courses and degree programs, and if you are ready to get started, congratulations on scratching the surface! Digging deeper, consider these brief, yet necessary 6 online education, school starting steps to move you forward in pursuit of your goal!

Weigh Your Options
What are your goals? If you are somewhat lost and in need of direction, get busy on any one of several education sites to see what is offered and what might interest you. Believe it or not, getting started in the online education process does not have to be painful!

Accreditation
Possibly one of the most obvious yet overlooked necessities in a potential online education. If you want your degree, diploma or job certificate to amount to what you paid for it, your institution of choice MUST be accredited. You might learn a lot from Leroy’s Online Business School, but if it isn’t an accredited institution there’s a good chance it will come back to bite you in a future business interview!

Choosing a school
There are several schools, colleges, etc. that would love to help you achieve your educational goals for a reasonable fee; however, you need to be specific in searching for what you desire! Do you want a degree in art, business, philosophy or some other field? The more specific you get with your goals, the faster you’ll find the most appropriate fit!

Financial Aid
Do NOT fall into the mind trap that many students do in regards to financial aid! If you don’t have the cash on hand to pay for all of your credits, classes or degree program, it doesn’t mean you have to take out a loan! Look deeply into the world of scholarships! There are many available through government and private organizations, as well as grants and low interest loans that can be paid off at very reasonable rates!

Research
If your education is worthwhile, then it’s worthwhile to be patient in getting started. You may be chomping at the bit, but you need to find as close to a perfect fit as possible! Take time to read about your options and possibilities and subscribe to a quality over quantity philosophy! Contact universities and be sure you are as important to them as you want to be!

Focus
Don’t become easily distracted as your education process begins. Properly dealing with distractions and prioritizing will help create an excellent sense of self discipline that you can use in your research and studies. It is imperative to establish these good habits at the beginning, so your future online educational endeavors are smooth sailing!

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