Whether you are a high-schooler who has just graduated or a worker who wants to enter university with your own money, you have to know that you cannot take college entrance for granted. If you plan to enroll in favorite universities, the exams are designed to eliminate more than eighty percents of the applicants. Only the chosen ones deserve the status of being their students. If you opt for the less-competitive universities, the entrance might be not too distressful, but you have to plan further than your graduation to bring yourself to the top of the job-seeking race.
Getting into the Right Mindset
The costly expense for college does not stop at the entrance fee. You may count on a scholarship to finish the semesters, but it is better to prepare for the worst. Remember that if anything can go wrong, it will. The rule is called Murphy’s law. The military conceived it during World War II so that they could anticipate all risks even before they materialized.
If you want to get into a university, you should calculate all things like there is no place for any mistakes. You should be aware of the fact that you trade your time for studying. And if you fail, you will have several years of empty resume. Imagine a job interview where you should explain why you have wasted your one or two years for a study that you cannot finish. It gives a bad impression, doesn’t it?
Besides, if your sole aim is to receive a high payment for your competence, it would be better if you do business, instead. There are standard qualifications of employees. In some situations, you do not need to exceed them to get hired. Get employed, save money, and open your own business.
If you pursue an academic status, your goal should be nobler than just money. Getting involved in studies and innovation are supposed to be in your mind. An academician is responsible for contributing to general population and science.
Preparing the Funding
You can either choose personal saving or student loan as your source of college funding. The problem is that not all people can have sufficient saving to enter a college. It needs to be prepared and planned years in advance. Your life may be easier if you have supportive parents because they might have vouched for you by joining a long-term financing program.
But in case you are by yourself, the chances are that the student loans are your best option.
Before, getting a loan, do realize that in almost all states, you can choose between private and state-sponsored loans. State-sponsored loans have stricter rules than the private one. But private lenders impose a higher loan interest than the state-sponsored. Inquire the matter further by checking this Student Loan Report. It offers a comprehensive comparison of private lenders.
It would be better if you can picture how you cover the college expense by doing part-time jobs. But as a college student, getting employed may be difficult. Employers will see you as inexperienced. To overcome that, make use of your spare time to learn new skills. You should choose programs with a credible certification system. Those papers can make you stand out from other job applicants.
Learning How to Learn
Schools do not teach you how to read academic journals, take efficient notes, and deliver a presentation with a good flow. Most students learn those skills outside the school’s formal programs. Therefore, if you belong to the unlucky ones, you have to get accustomed to reading science paper and taking efficient notes from a lecture. Re-learn how to learn so that your minds are better organized than before.
Everything in college is fast-paced. If you do not have an effective learning mechanism, you may get overwhelmed when you are required to adapt to new information. It’s survival of the fittest, not the strongest.
As a parent or guardian, it is crucial to emphasize the need to take a career guidance and counseling session with an expert at high school level. Most schools offer this a part of college preparation program for students. It helps them to pursue relevant diplomas and degrees which will help them in entering into a right career. Avoid the mistake of assuming that the children know what they want to be in future. It may be a wrong ambition all along.