Celebrate 529 Day!

Today is 5/29, so it's a great day to investigate your state's 529 college savings plan. An excellent place to start is the free webinar being held today at the link below.  Like I always say, it's never too late to start saving for college. Even parents of current college sophomores or juniors will benefit from saving through a 529 because there are usually state tax benefits for funds saved in these accounts. 

Making Summer Count

Even if your child doesn't have a “dream job”, study abroad classes, or a summer internship there are still a number of ways to make this summer an educational experience.

• Work! - Any summer job will offer lessons in the “Real World”. Some students don’t see the value in a summer of working in food service, retail, or landscaping but all of these jobs require hard, task-oriented work, and the ability to manage time and handle people in sometimes difficult situations. I've hired many people in my life and the ones who were the best employees started out working in the most tedious of jobs. The way I see it; if you can wait tables, mow lawns, or deal with angry customers all day, you will be a conscientious employee who won't be afraid to work.

• Travel – The location doesn't have to be distant or exotic for learning to take place. Even seeking out a new adventure in a neighboring state can offer learning experiences.  As we age, travel becomes more and more about new experiences and learning opportunities. Even weekend getaways to local areas of interest or historical sites can enhance education and broaden students' world views.

• Independent study - Studying for anything from the MCAT to individual study in a foreign language or a non-credit, online class will broaden horizons and keep students’ intellectual muscles strong. Students who are interested in research can spend their summers working on a preliminary literature review for their future thesis or senior project. Believe it or not, some students even read for pleasure during the summer so they can easily answer the question “What was the last good book you read?”

• Volunteering – So, your child didn't find his dream internship this summer- don’t fret. There may be opportunities for similar experiences through volunteer work or job shadowing with a relative or family friend in the student’s field of study. Whatever volunteer experiences your child takes part in during the summer, be sure they record the hours worked and ask for a letter confirming the hours or a letter of reference from the volunteer supervisor. 

Surviving Low Final Exam Grades

Students who earn a low final exam grade can be deeply disappointed, but you can help them gain perspective by remembering some of these tips:

• If your child calls about failing a final exam, listen and let him or her express their disappointment. Unless they specifically ask your advice, just be their “shoulder to cry on” and let them know you’re still proud of them for trying hard and you are willing to help them work out a plan to salvage a low GPA after final exams week.
• Remind them at the they will take between 40 to 50 classes just to earn an undergraduate degree, so one low final exam grade, in one class, will not damage their entire academic career as much as they think.
• Ask if the class can be repeated during the summer. If so, the student may consider repeating the class to raise the grade. Some colleges and universities allow students’ grades in repeated classes to replace the original grade in the GPA calculation. A review of the institution’s grading or “academic forgiveness” policies can shed light on whether or not your child’s college has such a policy.
• Offer a reality check. Students on a semester term have 16 weeks to earn the grade they want in the class, so trying to make an A on a final exam for a class in which the student has a D average simply isn’t realistic. This is not to imply that the student should not bother to study, but sometimes students need a reality check that only a parent can give.
• Ask if they need a certain grade in the class to graduate? If not, it is wise to simply accept the grade and not worry about repeating the class. Students are often worried about not having a 3.0 or higher GPA to post on their resume, but many students post their “major GPA”, or the GPA in the classes taken only for the major requirements, on their resume too. This allows them to essentially explain an F or D in a non-major related class that may have no bearing on their future employability or graduate school admission.
• Stay positive even when your child is not. During final exams it is important for your child to focus on the exams as they come and not worry about disappointment or criticism from parents. I firmly believe that constructive criticism is necessary, but expressing your disappointment or critiquing your child during final exams is counter-productive. Be positive and supportive now, and worry about expressing your concerns or disappointment later. After final grades for all their classes are posted, your child can evaluate what worked and what did not in terms of studying, prioritizing projects, and time management, and can develop a plan to improve their grades in the future.