For many students, graduation is a rite of passage. It is an experience akin to prom, or getting married— something you’re supposed to do. But there’s another subset of this population. That is the one that focuses on creating generational change. That is to say, first generation graduates. This expression refers to individuals that are the first in their families to graduate. Whether it be from high school or college, there is something meaningful about changing what had come in the past. There is something beautiful about this change. What are the statistical differences? Some say once you get in, you’re set. But that is not entirely true. For first generation college students, there are statistics that suggest getting to the point of graduation is the hardest part! A 2016 study found that about 60% of college students 6 years after entering college did not obtain their secondary degree. The same study found that students who are first generation tend to use necessary offered resources like financial aid more, however resources that focused on well being, like counseling, were used less. This indicates that first gen students may not be clued into the opportunities to support a healthy lifestyle with coping mechanisms in college. Beautiful positive facts First generation students may experience unique challenges that are difficult to hear about. However, the experience is poignant for that fact alone. Some key points to remember for first generation college students includes increasing support for this demographic. 73% of colleges and universities have a formal definition of this cohort. This means institutional recognition of the unique struggles for first generation students. This results in experiences such as experience-based cohorts that share resources through shared identity. Further, this leaves space for programmatic efforts that tackle the same issues as mentioned above— mental and social health. Overall, the percentage, some ⅓- ½ of all college students today are first generation, and their experiences increasingly significant and recognized.
The end of February marks the time to start thinking about those AP exams, and other major exams like the SATs in general. In this month’s blog post, let’s check out strategies to effectively calendar and create a study schedule that works for you! Here are 4 considerations. Don’t just study It’s important to create a schedule that accounts for your humanity. Make sure to include times you’ve designated for fun and for rest. Block these times regularly in your calendar. Study challenging concepts at the right time You don’t have to get up at 6AM in the morning every morning to do well on your exams. While you’re organizing your study schedule, make sure you are accounting for YOUR best work hours. If you’re an early bird, or a night owl, be sure to acknowledge your unique best hours. Not all study time needs to be long Got a 30 minute ride to hang out with friends? Waiting for dinner to cook? Use these spare moments to review your flashcards and give your brain a quick rehash of concepts that are easy to forget. Take a practice exam Whether it be for a final, an AP exam, the SATs, GRE, or other standardized test, make sure to go through a practice test at least ONCE to get all the first time exam jitters out. You may not be able to replicate the entire experience, but you WILL be able to have a better understanding of and familiarity with the exam’s logistics and format. Now that these broad considerations are in, it’s time to organize your calendar. There are 3 important steps. Calendar your exam date Add in a treat for the day after, and some last minute flashcards for the day before. The week of, make sure you’re getting a combination of rest and review. Plan out your monthly goals After taking a diagnostic test, add in monthly goals to get a sense of how far you are from your goal score. Take at least one diagnostic test during each month so you can measure your progress. Figure out the hours per week you want to study. Once you have a sense of how many hours you can put in, you can see how much time you will need per day and when you can study more complex material you’re struggling with, given timeslots that are longer. As you can read, there is a lot of strategy and planning that comes with organizing your study schedule. The biggest advice? Make sure you can stick to it!
How Your Crazy Covid Dreams Might be Helping You Learn As winter approaches, the days are shorter and nights longer. Besides spending time in self-reflection, now’s the time for plenty of naps and sleeping. As a result, you might find yourself having stranger dreams than usual. Some studies now suggest that such dreams may result in memory consolidation. They can also result in an ability to understand complicated experiences digested during the day. Lots of strange dreams during Covid Are you having lots of strange dreams during the Covid pandemic? When looking at a sample of 1091 Italian participants and asking for their self-reported experiences in slumber, one study found that “dream frequency, emotional load, vividness, bizarreness and length” were all rated higher during the pandemic when compared to a pre-lockdown period. You are not alone. Additionally, individuals noted a higher increase in “negative emotions” when assessing their dreams. Finally, predisposition to some factors, such as sensitivity to depression, were predictive of such “strange” dreams. Dreaming to learn Tufts University neuroscientist Erik Hoel suggests that these dreams may be a process our brains go through to learn. His reasoning? Well, we know that dreams are amalgamations of experiences that we have throughout our days. Dr. Hoel believes that due to the monotonous nature of our lockdown experiences, our brains may be trying to create novelty in our subconscious minds to help us glean insights from what would otherwise be routine experiences. Therefore, these strange dreams may serve as intelligence in our working memory to teach us from new experiences, whether real or imagined at night. Practice makes perfect While these researchers try to make sense of the bizarre and unanticipated externalities of a global pandemic, many different hypotheses are coming into play when analyzing dreams. Another assumption is that dreams are ways our brains allow us to practice responding to real-life situations that have not yet occurred. Thus, the more you can “practice” in your dream, the more you can be prepared to perform in real life. What’s weird? Despite there not being one consensus when it comes to why we are experiencing dreams that are “strange” during Covid, there is a lot of interest in the field of understanding such experiences. As a result, the concept of “overfitting” is an idea that has permeated circles of scientists asking why we dream the way we do. This concept argues that dreams are weird because if they weren’t, we’d never be able to get new insights into our daily lives. Dreaming strange dreams might be normal, just as much as learning, whether you expect it or not, can be. Either way, your crazy Covid dreams might be helping you learn!
At first we were concerned with October exhaustion, now, it’s time to use self-reflection to measure your academic success! Importantly, as a diligent student, you must ask yourself questions through self-reflection in critical moments. Over time, these reflective questions will build an understanding of how you best approach education, and contribute to your success as a lifelong learner. How are you doing? Have you reflected lately on your educational process? Additionally, have you taken stock of your school work and learning, noting where you did well and didn’t? Students, teachers and all in the education space may react differently to questions of self-reflection. So, it’s no wonder that reflection is important! With November coming upon us, now is the best time to take stock of your progress and for students to check in with themselves while learning. In order to make sure you getting the most out of your educational process as it continues to build over time, here are some questions to consider: What have I learned? When was a time when I struggled with learning a new concept? Where do I learn best? What are the characteristics of these places? How do I learn best? What are the tools I’m using? Who do I learn best from? With? What are their characteristics? Which subjects are the most interesting to me? Reflection drive direction Asking self-reflective questions like those above during this fall season will help you perform better as a student. Studies suggest that self-reflection helps with a “growth mindset” attributed to Carol Dweck, psychology professor of Stanford University. Those individuals who exhibit a mindset that they are able to grow and learn through their failures and challenges are able to achieve more of their goals. Self-reflection such as asking these questions, or even any others you think of, is the cornerstone to measure your academic success to ensure continuous improvement. As Shakespeare once said, “know thyself”.
Overwhelmed in October? Students, parents, and teachers all understand the feeling of being overwhelmed this year. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic exacerbates this feeling. It’s time to support our teachers. Because of Covid, fatigue takes a new depth in meaning this October, teachers note the month as the most challenging work-wise. This slump— referred to as ‘October exhaustion’— occurs when the ambitious goals set during the summer are faced with realities of student performance and added layers of work. So, this year giving a little extra TLC to your students’ teachers may make a difference in their education. Here are some ways to support our educators as October comes to a close. Celebrate success with your teachers! Has your student learned a new, critical skill this year with the help of your teacher? Has the transition from online to in-person (to potentially online again!) been particularly well-thought-of? Even the slightest note of gratitude can be meaningful to hear in this unprecedented time. Growth is happening! It may be a good reminder for you too. If you have something nice to say, share it! Practice psychological safety. Because many businesses going remote, there is no spare time to do much relationship building. That’s why when there is a designated time to communicate, like parent-teacher conferences, you want to make the most of your time. Practicing psychological safety means sharing just enough compassion in your communications and asking open-ended questions such that teachers will feel safe to open up to you and express their genuine concerns for your student. It may be an outlet for you to express yours too. Offer face time during Covid. This is not a suggestion for personal phone calls. Considering the current world of online learning, encouraging a “video on” rule for your student’s online education helps. Context allowing. Teachers appreciate being able to see facial feedback. Research suggests it stimulates such emotions as empathy and emotional connectedness— all behaviors that would contribute to the success of your student’s education. Further research also indicates that seeing the faces of students increases motivation for teachers. Build community. In addition to teaching itself, teachers are tasked with long-term curriculum planning, communicating with admin and parents, and a deluge of other tasks. By building a community among other caretakers, you add one more safety net for your student’s education and support teachers through community. Reflect to Support! Maybe your student is struggling during this time because your teacher needs support too. Be sure to reflect on desired outcomes for the school year. What can you easily communicate with your teacher that would support understanding the needs of your student? This small act of awareness goes a long way in conserving mental space, giving room for teachers to breathe as they move toward the winter months.
Reading is fundamental. This old adage has been around since the dawn of education. And it is true. While the emphasis on reading remains constant in classrooms, many teachers have a narrow definition of quality reading time. But not all students feel equally passionate about launching into a novel. There is room to expand that definition to include new forms of reading. Here are four alternative ways to incorporate reading into your life, regardless of your free time or genre preferences. 1. Utilize Digital Reading Tools Hate carrying around heavy books? Download the Kindle app on your smartphone device. You can purchase books and keep them on hand to read whenever the urge strikes. You can also purchase an e-reader like the Kindle or Nook. These devices allow you to carry multiple books with you, without the heavy burden. Particularly for high school and college students with ample textbooks, this method lightens their book bag and makes reading more convenient. 2. Find an Aggregated news Source Not into fiction? Get your nonfiction fix by using an aggregated news source. Combine all your major news subscriptions into one place with tools like the Apple News app, Inoreader etc. No more toggling between the New York Times application and BuzzFeed News. Enjoy having reputable, credible nonfiction in one single location. Skip the clickbait headlines and build a reading log you can rely upon. 3. Podcasts and Audiobooks Let’s face it–reading can be arduous or inaccessible. Whether the issue is that you’re often driving or even that you suffer from dyslexia, sometimes life simply does not afford us the luxury of staring at pages for hours on end. Audiobooks and podcasts provide quality alternatives. The amount of material available is truly astonishing. There is no decrease in selection or cost, either. Many podcasts are available free of charge, and can be streamed via bluetooth or downloaded on the go. If you’re craving a way to read more books in your spare time, but cannot get on board with visual reading, definitely give this a try! 4. Blogs Can’t find a book that interests you? Tired of reading long-form pieces? The caliber of blog content is unparalleled nowadays. You can read about virtually any topic, with just the click of a button. Find a few bloggers who create quality, regular content and subscribe. Swap chapters of book reading for swiping through engaging posts. Just be sure to find blogs that have valuable production quality and strong language skills to ensure that you continue to grow.
There are a few things that we feel absolutely every high school student in America should cross off of their bucket list before graduation. While we recognize that there are different strokes for different folks, these five items are universally beneficial. Regardless of whether the post-high school plan consists of college, trade school or full-time employment, this list will definitely help. 1. Take an advanced level course. Enrolling in rigorous coursework can seem daunting, or even risky. There are fears of failing or of getting lost in the curriculum. However, overcoming these fears and taking a higher level course can bring numerous benefits. For example, AP courses mimic college courses in their structure, rigor and assessments. Taking just one AP course might provide useful insight into whether or not college is a good fit. Also, Honors or Gifted level courses can open up opportunities that would not be available otherwise. Many Honors course utilize field trips, research grants and extracurricular experiences to supplement the coursework. Why not take on a challenge that could guarantee growth? 2. Introduce yourself to your academic counselors and advisors. Many public high schools in the U.S. have a high ratio of students per counselor. Often, students never cultivate a direct relationship with their advisors and counselors, beyond college planning and course scheduling. States nationwide require high school counselors to stay informed about relevant scholarships, vocational opportunities and learning resources. Even if college is not a future goal, high school counselors can provide crucial information and tips for other post-graduation paths like trade school, military enlistment, nonprofit programs and more. It all starts with, “hello.” 3. Join an extracurricular activity. It is common for high schools across the country to offer sports, clubs, volunteering and technological opportunities to their student body. Participating in an extracurricular activity serves as a great method for making friends and furthering interests in a variety of areas. Not to mention, making a commitment to an extracurricular activity requires time management. Developing a strong sense of punctuality and scheduling will prove essential to adulthood. Why not start now? 4. Complete a class on public speaking. The number of occasions in life where one speaks publicly is unlimited. Wedding toasts, graduation speeches, eulogies, presentations for work and school–the list goes on! Knowing how to confidently and clearly communicate can be the deciding factor in job interview situations or financial opportunities. Get a head start on building confidence in public speaking ASAP. 5. Learn money management. No matter what path high schoolers follow once they graduate, money will be a constant presence. Understanding the basic mechanisms of taxes, interest, and savings is important. But the buck does not stop there. Having confidence making long-term investments, understanding how to assess the better buy from a slew of products or even learning the common trappings of hidden fees can be instrumental. Some schools offer formal money management classes or economics classes. Having a low-stress part-time job can also be a great way to build these skills.
Regardless of whether your child attends elementary school or university, studying remains an essential part of academic life. Often, the month of October ushers in a period of midterm assessments. Students might juggle oral exams, written tests and essays. Take advantage of a few study tips we have compiled to make midterms go more smoothly. Restrict Notes to One Page per Chapter – This prevents students from compiling pages upon pages of notes that they will never have the time to review. By restricting the available space, students distill notes to only the most pertinent information. Color Code Common Themes – Particularly for history and literature courses, identifying recurring themes is crucial. Assign colors to majors ideas the teacher explores in class, and continue this colorful annotation in the reading and notes. When it comes time to study, similar themes will be grouped in advance, making for associative learning. Don’t Go Crazy with Highlighters – Many students go overboard with highlighting. Efficient studying focuses only on the key information, and uses notes to help with details. If your student has a tendency to highlight everywhere, suggest that highlighter only be used for a specific type of detail, i.e. historic dates or vocabulary words. Mark Deadlines – Write down upcoming deadlines for every major assignment. Then, plot out which will require the most time to complete. Next, identify what assignments prove most challenging. Prioritize based on deadlines and difficulty and write out a plan of execution. Tiny, Daily Chunks of Study Time – Cramming can be effective for passing a test, but it is not good for retention. This means that when final exams roll around, knowledge may be forgotten. Instead, commit 20 minutes of study time to each subject, everyday. So, if your child has 6 classes, their total study time would be 2 hours. Break up these 2 hours into study chunks. Perhaps try an hour directly after school and an hour before bed. You decide what is more manageable. Talk It Out – True mastery means being able to teach the material. Have your student teach you the concepts that they are learning. And remember to set a time limit. Ideally, they feel confident enough about their material to recite the lessons at a conversational pace. Take note of concepts on which they flounder, those need more study time. Studying is a very personal activity, and no single solution suits everyone equally. If you find that one of these tips works better than another, embrace that! With the multitude of learning styles, variety equals healthy study habits. As long as your child can master their information in an efficient amount of time, midterms season should be a cinch.
Looking to infuse your child’s day with a bit of enrichment, but short on time? Nowadays, a parent’s schedule is jam-packed with obligations. Still, finding time to actively expose your child to new and interesting concepts is crucial. We have compiled three 10-minute ways to enrich your child’s day, regardless of whether they are in elementary, middle or high school. Let us know how you like them after you give them a try! A fabulous resource to pique your teen’s interests in a short amount of time is TED.com. TED talks are short speeches given by experts on nearly every topic under the sun, from what it’s like to be a robot to the power of introverts. TED believes in “ideas worth spreading,” and features virtually endless content on their platform. The best part about watching a 10-minute TED Talk is that the tone and subject matter are completely up to you and your child. Wanting to watch something more creative and funny? There is a TED Talk for that. How about digging into a more serious, political topic? TED has what you are looking for. Use these short, engaging talks to springboard a conversation about new and interesting ideas. Who knows? You may learn fascinating new things about yourself and your child in the process. Puzzles are another foolproof way to enrich your child’s say without devoting extra time to prep and protocol. You can find dozens of crossword puzzles online or pick up a crossword puzzle book from the store. It presents an opportunity to learn new vocabulary, reinforce spelling and to explore the concepts related to clues and keywords. The big draw? Crossword puzzles have varying levels of difficulty, so you can utilize this tip with a child of any age. Crosswords not your cup of tea? Give word searches, sudoku, mad-libs, riddles or any other brain teaser puzzle a shot, and watch the enrichment blossom. Finally, the most tried-and-true type of enrichment on this list is reading aloud. For younger children, reading a fictional chapter book like The Princess Bride or the Harry Potter series are great for teaching your little to stay engaged in a longform narrative, and to retain information. Interestingly, many parents stop reading aloud to their children once they reach the age where they can read on their own. However, studies show that reading aloud to teenagers has a positive effect on their opinions of learning and their perceptions of reading overall. At the middle school level, children respond positively to reading texts designed for oral presentation–like plays, poems and other rhythmic literature. For high school kids, change up the routine by having them read to you. Teachers have found success by enriching concepts like the Vietnam War through having students read letters from people living during the war. As it turns out, reading more personalized material it enlivens the historic event and grounds it in a human point-of-view that textbooks lack. Going back to the basics and finding ten minutes per day to read with your child is an worthy investment in your child’s education that you will not regret.
Today’s youth share a unique bond with technology. They have grown up around Apple products, mastered finding wifi and HotSpots, and most never think twice about using words like “Google” or “Facebook” as verbs. For adult generations, however, this fluency with technology is not as second-nature. In fact, parents may feel conflicted about the seemingly omniscient presence of technology in their children’s lives. Each week, alarming headlines appear on the front page of every major news outlet touting the risks and drawbacks of allowing kids to use technology. Concerns range from questioning whether your child has a technology addiction, to debating if technology causes social difficulties in the future. While the jury is still out on determining fact-based answers to these puzzling questions, one fact remains: kids and technology seem intertwined. Bearing in mind this relationship, we have a few recommendations for how parents can introduce their young ones to maximize the more productive apps that technology has to offer. Check out this amazing list of educational mobile applications for younger children. Some, like “Cookie Monster’s Challenge,” utilize popular characters from highly innovative and successful educational children’s television programs like Sesame Street or Disney to teach fundamental concepts like reading and mathematics. Parents can search for the name of the app on their phones, and download many for free or under $3! Digital Trends ranked the top twenty best educational tech toys for kids this year. The list includes build-your-own robot kits and electric circuit puzzle challenges that strengthen motor skills and encourage creativity. Not to mention, that many of the items on the list are fun for adults and older children as well. While the use of technology can tend to pose many worrisome questions about long term effects on young people, it can also be used to reinforce key educational concepts or to promote family bonding. With gadgets and gizmos here to stay, parents might very well decide to invoke the old saying, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!”
Being able to speak the local language or at least knowing some of the basic phrases can make your trip to a different country more enjoyable. Or maybe you just have an interest in a language and would like to learn it. Here are the top 5 ways to learn a new language completely free on any device. Duolingo Duolingo is one of the most popular language apps there is and is also one of the highest rated apps. An independent study conducted by the City University of New York and the University of South Carolina, about 34 hours of Duolingo is equivalent to a full university semester of language education. The great thing about it is that Duolingo is easy to use. You work on lessons to learn basic words, phrases, and grammar. You then practice what you have learned by translating real world content from blogs and websites. There are a few less languages on the apple and android apps than there are on the website. Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Polish, Esperanto, Turkish, Norwegian, Ukrainian Available: Apple, Android, and Windows 2. Busuu Basuu uses crowd-sourcing as part of its language learning system. When you first start out with busuu you will use a lot of flashcards for learning new words and phrases. As you advance, you will have the opportunity to practice writing and answering questions, which will be marked by other users who speak the language that you are learning. They offer 12 languages and you are encouraged to listen and speak the language by interacting with native speakers. Languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese. Available: Apple and, Android 3. Memrise Memrise is great for visual learners. They have over 200 languages to choose from. They use a scientific learning system that is supposed to boost your brain to learn 44 words an hour. They also use multiple game modes to drill different parts of your memory. The content is user-generated, so the quality may vary. Languages: 200+ Available: Apple and, Android 4. Lingualy Lingualy uses flashcards and games to help you learn. You practice what you learn by reading articles of things that interest you. When you come across a word that you don’t know, you can click on the word and it will give you the meaning and the translation. Languages: English, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Turkish. Available: Apple and, Android 5. HelloTalk HelloTalk helps you learn are over 100 languages to choose from. You can select your entry level and you will start learning and practicing immediately. You connect with others on the internet that also want to learn. You can type in your native language and they can type in theirs. You just tap and hold to translate or pronounce any sentence. Languages: 100+ Available: Apple and, Android Learning a new language doesn’t have to be hard or boring. Thanks to these great apps, you can learn almost any language you choose. Best of all, most of these apps are free, allowing you to learn as much as you want without investing a dime.
