Although it’s still the beginning of the school year, time is cutting close for the seniors of 2010. College is a huge decision for each student to make. “Should I attend a college next year?” if so, “Where should I attend college?” And another question, “How will I afford to pay the tuition?”

Mr. McPherson helps Jamie review her high school transcript.

College applications are to be turned in very soon in order to be looked at for acceptance. Also, the quicker you sign up for financial aid, the better chance you have of getting a large amount of money to help pay the full costs for the university of your choice. Remember, just about every university requires an application fee, which means you do not want to spend too much of your money applying to different colleges. Also, there are some colleges which require an application essay. This is one paper that you should really take your time perfecting and the deadline may be sooner than you think.

• Things to think about when choosing a college (finance wise) are:
• What is the price of tuition?
• Will I need to pay for room and board? (Some colleges require you to live on campus at least your first year.)  
• Does the college offer scholarships?
• Can I use my KEES money to help out? Note: KEES money is only good if attending a college in Kentucky.

After these 4 questions are evaluated, don’t forget to look at the majors the school provides. When starting college, you do not have to know exactly what you want to major in; however, it would be beneficial for you to have an idea; therefore, when choosing your college, verify that they have majors you may be interested in pursuing, so that you will not have to make a transfer after sophomore year.

            If you are still undecided, the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) required by JCPS can be a great advantage for you. It is used to help you find potential strengths and weaknesses in a career. There are plenty of interest questions to find out what you like to do.  Also on the ILP are resources that allow you to look at the pros and cons of the colleges around the country. Take the ILP and use it to your benefit; it can definitely help you lay out all of your choices and pick just one.

             Mr. McPherson is the senior guidance counselor. He is available to help students receive information on colleges and scholarships. He has also made it clear, that he can help by writing recommendation letters as long as the information is given to him  two-three weeks before the deadline. Also, if a college application requires your transcript, he will mail that information to the college for you. He is there to help, which means we should be sure to use him to our advantage! Mr. McPherson also was nice enough to offer some useful advice.

     “Students should pick at least four schools of their interest. Let one of them be their dream school, one be a fall-back school (the one which you’re sure you can get into), and two others that interest you. Be sure to research your choices and then apply. Also, be sure to check deadlines for applications and scholarships before it’s too late. Do not worry about paying for college until you have been accepted and remember your KEES money if attending a Kentucky college. Also, be sure to apply for FASFA in January.”

            While seniors are really the focus for college tips, juniors and anyone else interested are also strongly advised to attend the college fairs in the area and look at their choices while it is still early. The sooner you realize you have an idea about where to attend, the better. It will help you work hard now in order to be accepted in the college of your choice and achieve goals you can set for yourself now. Finally, remember to study for the ACT in the spring because that is one score that means a lot to college admissions offices!

LET’S HANG OUT.  What is a relationship without compassion, and the physical nature of love? Relationships can be every hard to maintain nowadays with obstacles constantly being thrown in to make the road ahead bumpy.  You have to keep the fire burning between you two, right? Rather than smothering the fire with hundreds of text messages and daily update phone calls,  here are some ways to help you pull away from the “smothering” phrase of a relationship.

Girls Let the guys have their space!! It’s not attractive when you’re clinging to his every move; it’s ok let him use the restroom by himself. A relationship can end in disaster when the female becomes too attached. The male will pull away and nagging him to hang with his girlfriend will take away his desire to want to. It’s ok to let him have some friend time (or time with the boys) and a couple of days to catch a breath or two.

Every once in awhile it is ok to stop with the heavy text messages; not every guy wants to be devoured in a text message of romance. This can be hard because with the tap of the thumb text messaging is now the number one communication device among teenagers. Lay off  for a little while. Sure, it gets hard when you want to spend that “quality” time admiring how wonderful and spectacular your  relationship is, but let’s face it, a “I love you” every hour is unnecessary and uncalled for.

Guys, you’re just as guilty as the girls are. Trust is a key to making a strong and powerful relationship; without trust a relationship is a struggle. Sometimes, just like the guys, girls need time to vent and be to themselves (or hang with the girls). Hanging out every minute of the day and spending quality time together are two different things.

Guys as well as girls have the tendency to get the “jealous bug”. Where are you right now….who are you with…what time are you going to be home? Questions similar to this can lead to jealousy and trust issues which not only can put a damper on someone’s day but it can also cause overall relationship issues. Trust your partner. Whatever happened in your last relationship don’t bring it into your present one. Old baggage can lead to a dark grim relationship.

Time and space away from your partner does not mean take weeks away. Just let your partner breathe every once in a while. Constant hang outs and time together can wind up in boredom. Time away from your partner can build an emotional attachment and make you lust for your partner’s presence making the relationship a more compatible and romantic one.

Spring Attire

Instead of  tight fitting clothing and skin clinging garments, loose is in this  spring! A shirt that hangs off your shoulders adds style as opposed to a shirt that shows your extra shoulders. Ladies, we  want to compliment our body not distract from it. As the climate climbs check out this cool American Eagle Tiered Dress. Great for casual and dress up;  just add a long hanging necklace and colored lips and heels and you will be good to go.

Less Bright, more cool

Last summer it was all about the neon yellow and green, but for the spring time let’s tone it down with some less vibrant colors and more cool settled colors such as powder blues and rose reds and plum purples.

Totes anyone?

To top off your fashion look, how can you forget about a purse to hold all the accessories that make you fabulous? Bigger is better when it comes to totes, so show some personality and make a fashion statement with a trendy tote bag.

For more cool looks and advice such as the ones posted visit www.ae.com and www.coach.com

You walk slowly down the hall  savoring every moment you are not in “their” class, and let’s face it…you’re not alone. Every student has that teacher who crawls under their skin like a hungry leech. Luckily, you have me to help you through the traumatic experience of that green little monster that hangs over you shoulder known as an annoying teacher. You can never win. When in a position like this. You just have to take the good and the bad of the situation. It is never clear why some teachers are out for blood, but with these steps I’ll help you walk out the classroom scratch free.

Step one: LOOK THEIR WAY

When the teacher is talking at least make eye contact in their direction. No matter what the view might be, at least give some illusion of  looking their way. In reality you can be looking straight past them.

Step two: DON’T SPEAK

Speaking in class or mouthing something can cause you to be the number one target for “annoying teacher” syndrome. When it looks like you are talking about something other than the subject at hand they will pounce. It’s better to duct tape your mouth closed even if you are talking about the subject.

Step three: EVERY QUESTION IS A STUPID QUESTION

No matter how an annoying teacher rants about asking questions, DON’T!!! It only causes complications and unnecessary discussion of how you should have been paying attention. The reality is 99.9% of students don’t pay attention to the directions anyway, so find that 1% and ask them instead of hassling the teacher,  for he or she will spend ten more minutes nagging the entire class.

Step four: WHEN IN DOUBT SLEEP WITH YOUR EYES OPEN

No matter how much sleep you had last night, statistically there are not enough hours in a day for you to get enough sleep and then function in a boring class.  It’s not humanly possible. This is why you should NEVER EVER get caught sleeping in an annoying teacher’s class.  If caught,  not only have you volunteered yourself to answer all questions, but you have also volunteered yourself a one way ticket to a lecture on how you will fail that class. If necessary, master the technique of sleeping with your eyes open.

Not all steps are proven  effective and some may cause you to seem inattentive, but just remember THREE MORE MONTHS TIL SUMMER…