Teacher Led Schools

Teacher Led Schools Schools across the country are giving authority back to the teachers by throwing out the administrative grips. At these schools, teachers are solely making all the administrative decisions and teaching. Palmer Park Predatory Academy (P3A) will open in Detroit in the fall of 2010 with no principal or other administrators. This school will replace the Barbara Jordan Elementary school, which was recently labeled as a low-performing school, according to an article in The District Administration. The Detroit public school system realized that a dramatic turnaround was necessary to enhance its public schools. The conclusion was to create teacher-led schools, allowing teacher and not principals or other administrators to decide how the school should operate. This is a growing trend, and schools in Boston, Milwaukee, Denver and Los Angeles have already made their schools teacher-led. Many teachers are welcoming the new tasks, and they fully believe they can handle all the responsibilities of teaching and administrating schools. Some teachers were so sure that this new program would be successful that they were willing to bet their tenure on it, Ann Crowley, DPS teacher and co-founder of the group Detroit Children First, an organization that had been vying for an all-teacher school for several years told The District Administration. Many excellent teachers felt they could get more for their children if they had a greater voice in the decisions that are made in their schools, Crowley told The District Administration. The set up of the Detroit school is not complete yet; however, the basic structure is that certain teachers will be working and researching specific issues that are important to the school. Then, those teachers will make recommendations with a shared-decision making process. This process is similar to that in other already existing teacher-led schools. Also, there will be an executive director for most of these schools who organizes the teachers focus and lesson plans to some extent. Officials who helped other cities set up teacher-led schools said they believe that a clear system of autonomy needs to be in place for these schools succeed. They also said that they believe this system will be more efficient and enhance students learning.

How to Find Students to Teach ICT

How to Find Students to Teach ICT How to Become an IT Tutor and Find Students Chapters Work Out Who Your Students Will Be Finding Students through Word of Mouth Advertise in Local Businesses Find Students in Academic Establishments In Neighbourhood Associations Finding Students OnlineHave you mastered computers? Do you know how to use several different programmes, provide IT solutions, or just looking for a student job?To increase your earnings, why not consider tutor jobs offer computer tutorials to help people with basic computer skills or digital literacy?It’s a wise decision since IT skills are in high demand at the moment and almost every job requires some computer training. While the younger generations are seemingly born with a laptop or desktop computer and have mastered typing by the time they finished the computer classes at primary school, lots of people are taking IT tutorials to boost their computer literacy or just learn how to use the mouse or the keyboard. There’s a good future in offering in-home private computing tutorials on  IT tools, programming languages, computer hardware, cybersecurity, digital technologies, web programming, or IT networks, etc. Are you motivated to teach private IT tutorials but don’t know where to start or how to find your first students?Superprof is here to help! If you follow our advice, you’ll soon see that finding your first students is much easier than you thought.Before you start putting up computer class adverts, you need to start at the beginning. Remember that these will be pretty useless if you haven’t thought things through. Here are a few things that you should think about before you start offering your services as a private tutor:The level of your future students: beginners, intermediate, advanced (remember that the private tutor should always have a level greater than that of their students! It’s as true for IT tutorials as it is for piano or cooking classes.)Your availability: evening classes, during the school holidays, weekends, etc.Your rates: This is one of the es sential considerations.The geographical area: You’ll have to move around to get to your tutorials. How far are you willing to travel?You should also think about what your tutorials will include. For example, you could give tutorials on:Microsoft Office for beginners: Excel (spreadsheets), Word (word processor), PowerPoint (presentations).Office IT skillsComputer basics or an introduction to computersBrowsing the internetHow a computer works (looking at the fundamental parts of your computer) Computer programming tutorialsHow to make a websiteManaging databases (with Microsoft Access, for example)Digital project managementEtc.A compass won't help you find students but the internet probably will. (Source: pixabay.com)Once you’ve considered all these things, you’re ready to start looking for students. Let’s move on.Find out what qualifications you need to become an IT tutor... Finding Students through Word of MouthThis is one of the first things you should do: tell your friends and family that you’re offering private tutorials. Word of mouth works really well in these cases. Furthermore, recommendations from friends and family work really well. They can reassure your future students and tell them how skilled and professional you are.They’ll say something like: “I know somebody offering private IT tutorials. I could give you their number if you want. Tell them I told you!”Once you’ve got your first few students, word of mouth will help you get more. You students will talk about you to their friends and family and you’ll gain a bigger pool of potential students.With the help of social networks, you’ll be able to take advantage of this snowball effect. Announce on Facebook that you’re offering classes or create your own webpage. The latter’s a good idea if you have had a few embarrassing moments on social media.Your students may be closer than you think. (Source: rawpixel.com)Another step you can take is to post adverts in local businesses. Create a small and direct advert with some visuals that will get people’s attention. Create a little poster with your telephone number on tabs that potential customers can tear off and take with them. Don’t forget to write something like “cybersecurity tutorials” next to your number so that interested parties won’t forget why they took your number.For example:“Second-year IT student offering private IT tutorials for all levels”“Coding for beginners offered by an experienced IT technician”You’ll need to make sure that you mention:Your nameEmail addressPhone numberThe types of tutorials you’re offering (beginners, catchup classes, online classes, in-home tutorials, IT classes for seniors, etc.)The levels you teach (schoolchildren, GCSE, A Level, professionals, etc.)Your rates per lessonAny IT qualification or certification you may have.You teaching style and your teaching experience.Remember that you’re not writing a novel. A poster needs to be readable, clear , and memorable so that people can get all the relevant information in just a few seconds.Once your announcements are ready, you just need to go around the neighbourhood asking if local businesses have a noticeboard or a window you can put your posters up in. Don’t hesitate to briefly talk to them about what you’re offering as an instructor, too. You never know. Maybe they know people who’d be interested.One last thing: Don’t forget to bring some tape or Blu Tack so that you can put your posters up. Find Students in Academic EstablishmentsSchools are a great place to offer your services since computer literacy is part of the national curriculum. There’s usually a notice board somewhere in the school where you could put your posters.Speak to local schools and colleges to see if they’d let you put your posters up. You should consider talking to their IT teachers, too, and seeing if there are any students who could benefit from extra instruction.Even if the establishment do esn’t offer IT classes, there may be students (or their parents) that are interested in your classes.You should think about visiting:Primary schoolsSecondary schoolsSixth formsCollegesUniversitiesNight schoolsEtc.Learn how to create an IT lesson plan for every level of teaching...If you want to give computer tutorials to kids, it might be worth investing in a tablet. (Source: kaboompics.com) In Neighbourhood AssociationsDon’t forget that there are associations you can look to in order to get the word out about your tutorials. These are places that locals frequent and you can find potential students. Of course, you don’t need to go to every single club or group. You should make the most of your time by targeting specific groups where there’ll be a lot of potential IT students.Let’s be clear:If you’re offering personal computer classes for the elderly, then a senior citizen’s club or association is probably the best place to go. Put up posters in church halls or communit y centres that host seniors regularly, make sure they mention that your classes are specifically tailored to them or head down one day to introduce yourself.Are you offering tutorials for GCSE or A Level students? Then consider asking to put up posters at a local children’s football club, for example.Etc.Think carefully about the best places to put up your posters. Ask around to see if you could give a brief presentation on computer technology and the basics such as why a lesson on If you know what type of student you’re looking for, you can think about advertising in the kind of places they go. Finding Students OnlineLast but not least: The internet!  There are a lot of options for finding students online.You could make your own website.You could sign up to platforms dedicated to providing private tutorials.If you're a skilled graphic designer, you could focus on this in your private tutorials. (Source: stock.tookapic.com)Creating a Website for Private TutorialsCreating a dedic ated website for your private tutorials should be simple for anyone who knows a thing or two about computers. If you don't know how to create a website, you could learn to use WordPress  and create a basic web page about yourself.The fact you built your own site would also act as proof of your abilities to future students and those wanting to learn internet basics like navigating web pages or coding in HTML. There are several advantages to having your own site, too. In particular:You can add content to a web page as often as you likeYou can provide specific details on the types of courses you’re offeringYou could add free computer courses on basic skills to help those new to computersYou can maintain a blog where you share tips and tricks. Editing a blog is often very easyIf you want to provide private IT tutorials as your main job, you can. However, you’ll need to keep in mind that maintaining a website can be a time-consuming endeavour. You need to make sure that it highlights the benefits of your tutorials and shows off your skills as a tutor.  You can also use it to provide materials to your students.Signing Up to Dedicated Private Tutorial SitesThere are several platforms online offering private tutorial services. Superprof is obviously one of these platforms.This type of site is quick and easy and can give your profile some visibility and ensure that students looking for private tutors are able to find you.On Superprof, you don’t have to pay to get in touch with potential customers. It’s free to sign up. The site allows visitors to search by subject and location and check out the tutors that match their requirements.Tutors are evaluated by their students who leave comments about them and potential students can work out if they’re the right tutor for them. You’ll see that it’s very easy to quickly find students. To increase your chances, you should make sure that you reply quickly to enquiries, have a complete profile, and offer your first h our of tutoring as a free taster session. You can also offer tutorials over webcam.By taking these simple steps, you’ll soon be teaching your first IT tutorials. You should keep your students’ needs in mind, be patient, and make sure that you’re dedicated to their progression.How do you become an IT teacher?Your skills in the field won’t be enough. You need to learn how to transfer your knowledge.Find our how to prepare IT tutorials effectively.

Online Maths Tutor Jobs

Online Maths Tutor Jobs Why have Some Maths Tutors Decided to give Teach Maths Online? ChaptersThe Advantages of Online Private Tuition:The Disadvantages of Webcam Private Tuition:Sceptics Are Quickly Convinced When It Comes To Online Maths TutoringThe Digitisation Of Private Tutorials Is Already HappeningHi I'm Anis. I'm  a French and Maths tutor. I've  got over 7 years of private and online tutoring experience  and before that, I was a maths and physics tutor mentoring students in some of Paris’ top high schools. Studying maths and providing private maths tutoring  is my real passion.Maths is a universal language, why teach it online and around the world? (Source: Superprof)In 2016 I tutored 8 students one on one over Skype (online) and their private mathematics courses  went really well. The students lived in different cities around Europe: London, Geneva, Paris, and Luxembourg, they all had different levels, were different ages, from starting secondary school to getting ready to be an undergrad at university.With 6 months of supplemental instruction, homework hel p, and  test prep, the students improved their exams' grades.In this article we're  going to show you the advantages and disadvantages of taking to your webcam and advising you on the best ways to provide online tutoring services.  as well as the technology that’ll help you create  a fantastic academic tutoring service and put your students on the path to academic success.Here's how you get into online maths tutoring online and how you can use it to  teach  maths effectively!Improve their communication skills:  Having tutorials online forces the student to better express their ideas (which also helps them better assimilate new concepts and gain study skills).Easier to share information:  The student and the teacher can keep all their files on their computer or another device, making the exchange of files really easy and practical.Flexibility:  Tutoring jobs over Skype can be easily scheduled around both the tutor’s and the student’s timetable. Furthermore, the tutorials can co ntinue even when the tutor or the tutee are elsewhere (on holiday or a trip, etc.). For example, last week, I offered my tutoring services from the comfort of my hotel room in Brussels while my student was in their holiday home in Geneva. Online tutorials get rid of a number of the common hurdles such as time, transport, and price, etc.The Disadvantages of Webcam Private Tuition:A bad internet connection and synchronisation issues:  This can sometimes happen. If your connection is bad or the sound is out of sync, the quality of your maths tutorials will suffer. In order to avoid this problem, I recommend checking the quality of their connection before the tutorials.Communication Problems:  Some students have difficulties when it comes communicating with a teacher over webcam. However, they normally become more and more comfortable with having their tutorials online and this stops being a problem after two or three sessions.Here are some tools which can help any tutor successfully be come a maths tutor.In fact, there are plenty of technological tools to simplify and improve your remote tutorials (over Skype). For example:Google Docs: a Google page that allows both the student and the tutor to see and edit documents in real time, which really aids communication. I can show a student the method and the solution to a problem using the advanced functionality of Microsoft Word, work through their homework as if I was really there thanks to Google Docs. In fact, you can also draw on google docs, using the platform like an interactive whiteboard or look over a student's assignment in real time.Geometry Programmes: this type of programme is really useful when it comes to showing students complex geometric maths problems or trigonometry. I recommend GeoGebra for solving a geometry problem or equation.Emails, WhatsApp: Messaging and email are the first things you should get when you become a tutor. The student can send the exercises and notes from their tutorials to their tutor and the tutor can quickly show a student how a problem can be solved by taking a photo of the solution directly to the student.Online Programmes: there are plenty of maths programmes online which allow students to draw complex curves, do algebra, or calculus. I often use these types of mathematical tools with my students in order to show them how to analyse a problem in terms of functions.Screen Sharing: In just a click, any tutor online can share their  screen with the learner. This is great for one on one tutoring and can help the tutor clarify any difficulties the student is having in some of the more difficult activities. Perfect for when providing academic tutoring for difficulties in maths.It's a lot easier to understand when you can see it, right?Sceptics Are Quickly Convinced When It Comes To Online Maths TutoringThe first student I  ever taught over Skype was getting ready to finish their studies at an international school in Geneva. He’d tried other in tutors at h is home and was very sceptical about online maths tutorials.The good news is that after a few months of tutorials he managed to go up two grades in maths. Never underestimate the power of testimonials! In fact, he recommended my  online tutoring services to all his friends.Finding a private maths tutor was an easy, simple, flexible, and quick way to get ahead in maths.A private tutor is great for helping students get a Maths' GCSE, for preparing students in a sixth form or a college get their A Levels, and also making students fall in love with maths.It’s easy to work out whether an educator on Superprof offers online one to one maths tutorials. You just have to have a look at the sidebar on the right of their advert and see whether it has the “webcam” logo.If you want to only find online tutorials, you just have to select “Via webcam” from the drop-down menu when searching for tutors.A modern way to teach maths using modern technology.The Digitisation Of Private Tutorials Is Already HappeningToday 23% of Superprof private tutors teach their tutorials online. The average maths tutor prices per hour for these online private tutorials is £19.As Anne, a Superprof user, echoes:“online tutorials are also an interesting solution for students who live in the country or abroad and are far away from most tutors. In fact, we concentrate better during virtual tutorials”.On behalf of the tutors, David highlighted the advantage of online tutorials:“It offers another way to be in contact with the students 24/7, 365 days a year”.The most frequently asked questions when it comes to online tutorials are about which payment tools to use. Once your free Skype and PayPal accounts are set up, you just have to take the plunge and start teaching your online tutorials with Superprof.This is how maths tutors see the future!  Discover the History of Maths tutoring over the centuries with our guide.Find tutoring jobs on Superprof. Whether you want to teach at home or start online tutoring jobs, we can help.

What are the Differences Between UK and US English

What are the Differences Between UK and US English American and British English Spelling Differences ChaptersWhy Has American English Changed?Noah Webster and the Push for Simple SpellingHow to Learn English Spelling: American vs BritishAs a learner of English as a foreign language, you’ll be faced with the decision between adopting British or American spelling in your English writing skills practice.There is no ‘right’ answer to this dilemma, but it is usually down to personal preference and your situation.For instance, if you are planning to get a job or take English courses in London and want to improve your English skills, you may find it useful to adopt British spelling. However, many non native English speakers choose to use US spelling as a default from the day they start to learn English, since it is the most prevalent in the English-language media.US English spelling is also simpler and more phonetic than UK spelling, so it is easier to become fluent in written English.This is because American spelling has been adapted to make it closer to the way words are pronounced in spoken English, so it is a clear winner for teachers of English courses, those studying English who are looking to improve their language skills.The differences are usually subtle, and only involve changing one letter, so many of them go unnoticed.Other changes are much more obvious, and involve changing a few letters or even using a completely different word.This can seem bizarre to speakers of British, Australian and South African English, who generally follow the same spelling and grammar rules as each other.However, differences between these two versions of English rarely cause confusion, and every native English speaker on each side of the Atlantic can enjoy each other’s TV and films as well as literature with ease.Are you looking for resources for learning English online?UKUSAPaediatricianPediatricianOestrogenEstrogenAnaemiaAnemiaIt’s not difficult to understand why these changes were made.Nevertheless, both British and American spelling is accepted in the world of sci ence.Another major difference concerns tenses, in particular, forming the past tense.For regular verbs, forming a past participle generally means adding the suffix ‘ed’.So ‘play’ becomes ‘play’, ‘stay’ becomes ‘stayed’, ‘talk’ becomes ‘talked’, and so on.It’s important to note the pronunciation of these past participles. Sometimes the ‘ed’ is pronounced as a ‘D’, and sometimes as a ‘T’.And this point is the reason for the next difference.When it comes to forming the past tense of ‘learn’ and ‘dream’, the Brits and Americans once again disagree, with the Brits choosing to, this time, spell phonetically as ‘learnt’ and ‘dreamt’, whereas the Americans use ‘learned’ and ‘dreamed’.Again, this causes little confusion and is really down to personal preference.However, it’s important to take into consideration the fact that the pronunciation differs slightly, too.For ‘learnt’ and ‘learned’, only the final letters di ffer in sound, however for ‘dreamt’ and ‘dreamed’, the difference is more noticeable, with the Brits pronouncing ‘drempt’ and the Americans saying ‘dreemd’ â€" which reflects their preferred spelling.Underground or Subway? ¦ source: Pixabay - PublicDomainPicturesAnother difference which, this time, affects an entire category of words, is how US English spells verbs ending in ‘ise’, choosing to replace the ‘S’ with a ‘Z’, making ‘ize’.Here are just a few examples of how this looks:UKUSCategoriseCategorizePrioritisePrioritizeOrganiseOrganizeSo, again, the actual difference is nothing major, but rather the scale of it is what is noticeable.It’s a similar story for words ending in ‘nce’ in UK spelling, where speakers of US English prefer to use an ‘S’ instead of a ‘C’.This change goes largely unnoticed. So much so, that British people sometimes ‘misspell’ certain words as their American counterparts.Take a look at the similarity:UKUSOff enceOffenseDefenceDefenseLicenceLicenseSometimes, however, the differences in UK and US spelling are not so subtle.For instance, where the Brits write a cheque, the Americans write a ‘check’.This change was obviously brought about to get rid of the ‘foreign’ and silent ‘u-e’ ending as well as making the spelling more phonetic.While the Americans categorize their colors and worry about canceling their theatre tickets, the Brits do it slightly differently.As a non native  speaker, it really doesn’t matter whether you choose to use UK or US spelling when you study English.However, we recommend that you choose one system and stick to it whilst your improve your vocabulary and work on your English speaking skills, listening skills, English conversation and English reading and listening comprehension so that your writing remains consistent.It's also a good idea to choose one English system in your language learning as each one favours its own English grammar rules, slang and idiomatic expressions and phrases.This approach is particularly useful if you want to learn English with a particular goal in mind.If you're an English learner hoping to achieve English fluency and teach English for the British Council, you'll need to focus on gaining the skills learn to confidently speak English to the level of a native British speaker.This means regular grammar exercises, English listening quizzes, learning to use new words in conversation, incorporating new nouns, adverbs, and adjectives into your sentences when practising speaking English, as well as getting used to how British English speakers pronounce their words and even practising tongue twisters!A good tip is to watch English TV and films from English speaking countries. By doing this, you can listen to English being spoken and see how the pronunciation matches the spelling and punctuation in the subtitles.All of this literacy and listening practise will see you achieve a high level of proficiency as you learn to speak English fluently, and is much more valuable than a dictionary when it comes to exams.Wherever you come from, and wherever your knowledge of English takes you, don't forget to enjoy it!

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Group Classwork

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Group Classwork Despite your best intentions and careful preparation, sometimes group assignments go haywire. Maybe your students dont work well together. Perhaps your efforts to foster collaboration dont always translate to student productivity. Here are a few common pitfalls of group classwork and tips to avoid these issues: Pitfall: Uneven workload. Theres no getting around it: some students put more work into group projects than others. You can avoid this problem by setting clear expectations upfront. Elementary students might do best with assigned roles, while older students should work from a group grading rubric that includes guidelines for sharing the duties. Try incorporating anonymous peer reviews into the project so students know theyll be assessed for their efforts (or lack thereof). Pitfall: Disorganization. Putting students together with different learning styles and ideas can cause a little chaos, making it hard for some to use class time wisely. You can greatly streamline group work by developing a timeline of milestones so that students know what they should do and by what date. If you prefer, give them the assignment details and have them get together to develop this schedule of deadlines on their own. Pitfall: Groupthink. Sometimes students in a group agree or keep quiet to avoid conflict. The problem with groupthink is that not everyone contributes or has the chance to put those critical thinking skills to work. To avoid this, talk with students about compromising and good listening. Consider holding periodic meetings with groups and inviting each student to share how the group came to its decisions. Mitigate the cons of group work with some proactive effort and your students will reap the gains. The best thing about group work, of course, is that it prepares students for the real world, where teaming up with others is a common occurrence. Set expectations and model good practices in your classroom and your students will benefit.

Start the School Year Off the Right Way With These Study Tips

Start the School Year Off the Right Way With These Study Tips Start the School Year Off the Right Way With These Study Tips The new school year is here! Start the year off right - develop a study schedule, organize your materials, and take a few moments to reflect on what you can do to make this year the best yet. Stay a step ahead Dont wait until you are behind to adjust your study skills. Starting the school year off the right way will provide you the opportunity to maximize your learning and stay ahead of your studies. Attend to your learning Good attendance is necessary for school success. Arrive at your classes early, make sure your materials are ready, and prepare for the days learning. Being ready beforethe school day and the individual class begins will help you acquire the most new knowledge. Review your study habits Think about your previous years study habits and determine what worked best for you. Talk to your teachers about any concerns you may have and how this years courses will impact your individual study habits. If you have laboratory based courses, such as chemistry, biology, or physics, seek additional time in the lab to review your learning with course materials on hand. Identify your strengths and weaknesses Understanding what your strongest academic areas are, and identifying the areas you struggle with the most, will help you plan your studying and maximize your learning. Huntington Learning Center can help. Each customized tutoring plan we create is based on the individual students strengths and weaknesses. Your tutoring plan will reflect your needs and is crafted based on your individual assessment data. Find What You Need Each student is different and what works best for you is personal. Some students choose to study in large chunks of time and others prefer to spread their studying out over time. You may study best at home in your bedroom but your friend may do better in a secluded corner of the public library. Determining your ideal conditions for studying will aid your preparation. Choose the perfect spot It is important to determine the perfect spot for you to study. All of these study tips will be irrelevant if your study location is insufficient. Where are you most comfortable? Which study spot has the least amount of distractions? Where do you complete your best work? Set a weekly schedule Take the time to create a master study schedule you can stick to each week. Be careful to schedule plenty of time around family, athletic, and extra-curricular activities. Consider building in extra time in case unforeseen circumstances or commitmen ts arise. Know when you need help If your school work is quickly becoming overwhelming and you are struggling to keep up it may be time to ask for help. The professional tutors with Huntington Learning Centers will administer assessments to determine your current strengths and weaknesses. Your progress will be carefully monitored to determine areas of continued need and the tutoring plan will be updated as you master new learning. Stay in Touch It is important to stay on top of both coursework and your individual performance. Knowing when you need additional support, and asking for help, is best done as soon as difficulties arise. If you wait too long to seek assistance you will likely be wasting precious study time. Review expectations Don't just read the syllabus and stick it in a folder. Your course expectations should be reviewed often to ensure you haven't missed any important dates or information. Compare the expectations periodically with your master calendar to make sure you haven't overlooked anything. Connect with others There may be other students in your class who are searching for a peer to connect with. Having another student in the class to study with, compare notes, and bounce ideas off of is a great way to stay connected with the academic work. Communicate with teachers and tutors Do your part to communicate with your teachers and tutors. When you are feeling confused ask for help. When something seems frustrating or overwhelming let them know. Utilize your teacher's office hours or review sessions and spend time during tutoring sessions to share your concerns or problems.

Importance of Early College Preparation

Importance of Early College Preparation College preparation  is extremely  important  to  college  success for students.  Although many decisions are made during the senior year, it is best to begin the college process as early  as high school freshman year. Knowing this, it’s crucial for freshman students to complete these tasks before the end of the school year: Answer the questions: How are you doing academically? How would you rate your current academic performance? If you feel as if you are struggling, now is the time to get some help from a tutor and make sure you will be able to pass your tests. If you are unprepared, you  can fail an assignment or class, which leads to stress and hopelessness. Get involved in a school activity.  Being a member of the chess club, art club, sports, etc.  is a great way to dive into your passions and interests outside the classroom. If you are having difficulty, talk to someone (teacher, tutor, or counsellor). Make a plan for next years courses.  Advanced classes should certainly be a part of this plan. Choose an inspiring community service project  such as collecting toys for a local shelter, planting a community garden etc. Make some preliminary college visits. Wander around, explore the campuses, talk to students. Find out what you like and dont like about the campuses.  It’s never too early to  visit colleges ??

Getting Through College On A Low Income

Getting Through College On A Low Income Image via Isorepublic.com Get as much financial aid as you can Fill out the FAFSA application every year You have likely heard of FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) before. This application will match you with financial aid, such as scholarships, grants, and loans, provided by the federal government that you qualify for. They will determine how much financial aid you qualify for by calculating your family’s “expected family contribution” (how much your family is expected to pay for your school expenses based on how much money they make). As the name implies, the application itself is free to fill out, and it could possibly provide you with a good amount of financial aid. It might look intimidating at first, but there are online resources that can help you fill out the FAFSA. Filling out the FAFSA every year can help you get the federal financial aid you need. Be careful about the loans you take out As a college student, you might need to take out student loans. It might be your only option to pay for college. However, you should be careful about the loans you take out because loans are certainly not “free money.” They will need to be paid back with interest. You will likely be offered some loans, but do some research on them before you accept. Figure out what type of loan it is (and some loans might be better for you than others), and most importantly, how much the interest will be. It’s also a good idea to know when you need to start paying it off. Some loans will allow you to defer payment up to six months after you graduate, other loans will require you to start paying as soon as you graduate. If you will need to take out a loan, be mindful of which ones you take out. If you can, get a job or start a “side hustle” Being a student, in and of itself, is a full-time job. But if you can find the time and energy, it would be a good idea to have a stream of income (or multiple streams of income!). You can do this by getting a job either on or off-campus, or by starting a “side hustle.” It could be anything, from working at a local coffee shop to working as a student researcher in a lab on campus. As far as a side hustle, you can start your own business and offer a product or service. These things will provide you with some extra money to alleviate the financial burden of being a student. If you can spare some time in your busy life as a student, consider getting a job or starting a side hustle. Visit the financial aid office often It’s a good idea to visit your school’s financial aid office often, as this will allow you to stay on top of your financial aid situation. It is an opportunity to make sure you are not missing out on any potential grants, scholarships, or loans you are eligible for. Your school might offer scholarships they don’t advertise, and you want to make sure you know about them! Sometimes, the only way to find out is asking them straight up in person. Visiting is also a good opportunity to let them know if there have been any significant changes to your financial life, like a new job. Visit your college’s financial aid often to make sure you are staying on top of your financial aid situation and are getting the aid you need. Search online for scholarships Your financial aid office should not be the only place where you look for scholarships. If you do a quick Google search, you will find many online scholarship databases like Fastweb that will help you find scholarships you are eligible for. There are many scholarships listed, so it might take a while to sift through them to find a couple that work for you. Still, it’s worth scouring the Internet to find a good scholarship. You never know if you will find the scholarship that will be just what you need to pay off your tuition. Be frugal with your school supplies Rent your textbooks One of the biggest scams college students fall for is buying their textbooks brand new. Don’t let yourself fall for it! Buying all your textbooks brand new at the campus bookstore can cost you hundreds of dollars. Instead of buying your textbooks brand new, rent them or buy them used from an online retailer. For example, Textsurf is a great place to compare textbook prices and then buy or rent textbooks. Personally, I would recommend renting your textbooks, since it will save you money and space in your bookshelf. It is usually cheaper than buying, and at the end of the semester, you can send the book back (so it will not sit on your bookshelf collecting dust). If you prefer to read your textbooks on your computer or tablet, you can rent or buy an electronic textbook, which is also inexpensive. A great way to get through college on a budget is to rent your textbooks rather than buying them. Reuse your school supplies from last year Although it’s fun to walk through the “back to school” aisle at Target, it might not be the smartest thing to do if you are a college student on a budget. But be honest with yourself: do you really need another set of pens or pencils? Do you really need another binder? A new backpack? Most of the time, you don’t need these supplies brand new. (Of course, if your binder or backpack is falling apart, you have my permission to buy a new one. But if it’s still functional, you don’t need to get a new one.) Take a minute to decide which school supplies from last year you can reuse. This will save you money in the long run! Take advantage of resources you have as a student Use student discounts One big resource you have available to you as a student is your student discount. At many stores, if you present your student ID, you could get a substantial discount. For example, at the Apple store, you can get a student discount. These stores often don’t advertise their student discounts, so don’t be shy to ask for it when you go shopping. Chances are good that stores nearby your campus will offer a student discount, even if they don’t advertise it. Even online services, such as Amazon Prime and Spotify, offer good student discounts. Be sure to take advantage of those student discounts! Attend the free events around campus Entertainment often costs a lot of money, especially if it’s close to a college campus. However, your campus likely has events taking place every so often, and almost every time, these events will be free. For example, instead of going to the movie theater (which is expensive), go to a free concert at your school. As you walk around campus, pay attention to the signs you see posted, as that is the place your school will advertise these events. Special events aren’t the only entertainment you can find for free (or cheap) on campus. Your school might have its own movie theater, stage, or museum that you can visit. These free or cheap entertainment ideas will help you save money, and will definitely help you get through college on a low income. Visit the campus library Similarly, buying books can get expensive quickly. Instead of buying books from a local bookstore, borrow it from the campus library or a local library, as it will be totally free. Take advantage of these free resources! Get some academic help As a college student on a budget, it’s a good idea to try to graduate as soon as you can, because you don’t want to pay for any additional semesters of college. To help you graduate as soon as possible, you should get some academic help by visiting your advisor. Your advisor will ensure you don’t miss any required classes and that you will have completed all your requirements in four years. (You really don’t want to be a second semester senior and find out you have not yet finished all your requirements!) Save yourself some money and graduate on time by visiting your advisor and making sure you are on track. Another way to keep yourself on track is to ensure you don’t fail any classes, especially not your required classes (since you will likely need to re-take it, which will force you to increase your course load for the next semester). Work out at the campus gym Just like entertainment is expensive, fitness is expensive. Even though you are young, your health should be a priority, but you don’t need to sacrifice your budget to keep yourself healthy. Instead of buying a gym membership and working out there, work out your campus gym. Your campus gym will likely be free of charge (or for a small fee). This way, you will still be able to work out while still saving money. This is a great way to stay healthy in college on a low income. Choose a good living situation Housing and roommates To get through college on a low income, it’s important to make good choices with your living situation. You have many choices as a college student. For example, you can choose to live on or off-campus, and with or without roommates. Living in a dorm on campus will generally be less expensive than living in an apartment off-campus. Similarly, living with roommates will be cheaper than living on your own, since you will be able to split the rent cost with your roommates. These lifestyle will choices will help you save money. Owning a car Besides your living space, the biggest lifestyle choice you will need to make is deciding whether or not to own a car. Buying a car is a big expense, but it’s more than just the price you pay for it at the dealer. Every month, you will need to budget for gas, insurance, and parking passes. Not to mention, you will also need to budget for any unexpected repair costs that can and will happen. For that reason, I would recommend you don’t own a car to save you from those costs. Instead, take the campus shuttle bus, public transportation, and ride-sharing services to help you get around the city while still saving money. Cut cable Another lifestyle choice you will need to make is whether or not to keep cable. Cable is expensive, but with the many streaming services we have available today, cable is not necessary. Instead of cable, opt for YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, or Hulu. With these options, you don’t need to spend all that money on cable; just pick the service that has the content you like and only pay for that one. Cutting cable can help you get through college on a low income. Image via Isorepublic.com Take good care of the money you already have Pay all your bills on time While you are still a student, it’s a good time to start practicing good money management habits that will last for the rest of your life. Plus, it’s important to take care of the money you do have right now. One of the best ways to take care of your money is to pay all your bills on time. This will help you avoid late fees. If you have a credit card, pay it off in full every month It is especially critical that you pay your credit card bill on time. Getting a credit card is a good way to build your credit, but only if you are confident that you can manage it correctly by paying it off IN FULL every month. If you can’t do that, don’t get the credit card, because it will only lower your credit score. Clearly, college life is expensive. Still, you can make it through college on a low income if you follow the tips we discussed in this post.