A Handy Guide to Campus Tours
Since my daughter will finally be off to college, she needs to choose a school of her liking. One way she can do this is to participate in campus tours, where she can essentially see for herself which colleges would be best for her. It’s an excellent way for her to determine where she’d go to college.
Back in the day, I participated in a college tour myself. I thought I’d share my experience with my daughter—and relay what I shared here as well! Here are things which you may want to consider when going on a campus tour.
Selecting the Best College for My Daughter
Everyone dreams of a good college education. As I want what’s best for my daughter, I’d want her to study at a reputable institution where she can reach her true potential. Now understand that many people people want to give their kids an Ivy League education, yet others who consider financial constraints would rather send them to a community college.
Of course, there are scholarships out there. I’ve always considered that option, and I tackled that here. Now I don’t want to pressure my daughter to pursue a scholarship which may prove to be too demanding for her, but it would be beneficial if she’d be able to attain one.
Anyway, here are a few factors which I kept in mind when selecting a college.
Valuable Lessons during My Daughter’s Gap Year
Image source: MyDestination.com
You may have noticed that I haven’t been talking a lot about notable events during my daughter’s gap year. You’re pretty curious yourself, and it’s only natural: traveling the world, seeing different places, and mingling with varying cultures, you could say there are a lot of lessons which my daughter learned as she jumped from one continent to another.
Getting Over Winter Break
Image source: College Ski Packages
Winter break was a fun time for me and my daughters. It was the perfect period to catch up with them, after a stint of being busy with things. But for them, all good things must come to an end. My younger one has to return to school and the elder one has to make up her mind about entering college, after her gap year.
Three Thanksgiving Recipes Apart from Turkey
Image source: GalleryHip
Thanksgiving will be here two weeks from now! I’ve already invited some relatives of mine from another town and they happily said that they’re joinging Thanksgiving dinner I’m organizing with my daughter. You see, she’s been of great help lately.
I’ve been teaching her how to cook and asking her to aid me in the kitchen to prepare her for what we’re going to whip up for the big dinner. Aside from the ever-present turkey, we’re thinking of the following food items below. I’ve also included the recipes in case you want to whip some up yourself!
In Pursuit of a College Scholarship
Image source: Junior Achievement of Chicago
As you may already know, my younger daughter is in her senior year in high school. This means college is fast approaching for her. I want to send her to an esteemed school, but I thought it would be good to let her apply for a scholarship. She thought so too, as she’s begun eyeing on many different scholarships she can take.
Animals the Internet Loves (Which Aren’t Cats)
You may already know this, but the internet is actually made of cats! It’s just a saying, but it stems from the fact that there are a lot of pictures and videos of cats posted online. It’s like felines own the World Wide Web now!
Yet we forget that there are also other animals on the internet! A fun fact about me: I adore animals so much. I’ve been online a lot and have been checking out videos and memes of animals who have gained popularity on the internet. (In case you don’t know what a meme is, it’s an image of something with funny captions.)
Anyway, allow me to list down some of my favorite internet animals.
Some Studying Tips for Seniors
Hi, everyone! How’s it been? Anyway, I’ve been chatting with my younger daughter lately and she’s kind of worried of how things will turn out in senior year, especially since she has to go to college right after.
Her main concern is that she might not be able to adopt good study habits. So as a mother, I gave her some advice on how to study effectively. And I’d like to share them with you all.
- Allocate time and space
I told her that she should set a schedule on when she’s going to study and most especially, where. I said she can use the dining area for studying, because to have her do so in her room might cause her anxiety and sleeplessness. I would only want what’s best for her, even when studying.
- Religiously follow schedules
It may be tempting to fool around a bit, but as what I told my daughter, during the time she’d set for studying, she’d better study. After all, it was up to her to determine which timeslot would be convenient, so I don’t see why strictly following her schedule would be quite a chore.
- Find a study group
I know my daughter has a lot of friends, so I suggested that she’d approach any of them and convince them to study with her. It’s easier and more engaging that way. I do understand how monotonous studying can be, so it’s a fresh start for her to be studying with others, especially her friends. I encouraged her to do so.
- Avoid cramming
Last minute information would be hard to process, and that’s why cramming isn’t a very good idea. I told her she’d only stress herself in doing so and she’d have to spend sleepless nights facing the pages of the textbook. No questions asked, I told her—stay away from cramming!
So what do you think about the pieces of advice I gave my daughter? Or might you have any other tips which you can share? Let me know!
Travel Tips I Gave My Daughter
I just realized that there have been a lot of traveling occurrences. Like the disappearance of MH370 months ago and the recent incident involving the shooting down of MH17. Such events kind of make me fear for my daughter, who is still traveling.
Anyway, before she left, I gave my daughter some safety tips, aside from instructing her on what to prepare for her time abroad. Do you want to hear about them? Well, read up!
- Be aware of your surroundings
Who knows? There might be a pickpocket or a hustler behind you. You can’t just expect everyone around you to be nice to tourists. When traveling, you’re usually distracted, so hone yourself to be alert at all times.
- Leave expensive items behind
This means leaving behind items which aren’t essential for traveling. This includes expensive pieces of jewelry. You may also leave behind your pricey gadgets in favor of cheaper ones. You’d be an easy prey for pickpockets and thugs when you’re adorned with expensive stuff!
- Take note of the vehicles you take
Learn a thing or two about which vehicles are legitimate. Check the plate numbers, registration details, and dates. Collecting vital information of such may save your life in the future.
- Scan your major documents
Have multiple backups of essential documents such as your passport and identification cards. Things could go wrong and you may lose either or all of them in drastic cases. You’d have to present some other proofs so that there won’t be any hitches to come.
- As much as possible, avoid going out alone
This is especially at night. You may think it’s safe to head out to the nearest convenience store from your lodging just to buy a pack of cigarettes, but you still risk getting mugged or anything. See to it that you’re not alone when doing so.
I know my daughter’s responsible enough to keep her safety intact, especially since she’s with her friends. I just thought I’d share to you what I imparted her before she left. I do hope you find them useful!
Oh right. Regarding my younger daughter’s dilemma? She’s decided to stop working to focus on her senior year. Good decision, I might say!
My Daughter, Work, and School
Image source: Monster College
Summer’s ending and school starts again sometime next month. My younger daughter will have to evaluate things if she’d want to continue working or simply focus on school. I had a small talk with her last night about this and she doesn’t really know what to do. I told her to think it over.
She’s been able to balance things out during the weeks before summer break, so I guess she can handle things well. However, this school year might be different since she’s an incoming senior.
I know a lot of parents have been in this situation before. Below are some common concerns which parents usually have.
- Will working part-time affect your child’s studies?
I am aware that senior year is hard to handle. What if my daughter would still insist on working? It might have a negative effect on her grades. All parents in such predicament usually take this to account.
- Does your child want to sustain him or herself even throughout the duration of school?
I’m fine with handling all her expenses, but what if she wants to handle them on her own? It may sound favorable for me, but there might come a time when she’ll love working instead of studying hard to have a better future—and a full-time job. Your child may want to work part-time instead of pushing through with his or her studies, which is perplexing in itself.
- What if things actually do work out?
I believe that when things do work out, my daughter will learn essential time management skills and work ethic. She’ll also have a bigger chance of getting hired someday! So I honestly hope it’d all turn out well. If your son or daughter can actually handle working and studying at the same time, it would prove to be beneficial!
Whatever the result may be, I’ll leave things to my daughter. After all, I trust her initiative on things. I’ll try and talk to her again and help her decide as I believe that would be the best approach.
crystalholcombe 
