College

Recent Harvard research has shown that people who set goals are ten times more likely to succeed than those who don’t. This comes as no surprise, considering all the benefits of goal setting, such as time optimization, productivity, and the ability to seize the moment.

Goal setting might be especially beneficial for students who have trouble juggling their studies and personal lives. This powerful tool can provide them with a clear path to success and help them make every day count. As for the goals of this article, we plan to discuss the most effective goal-setting techniques and how to integrate them into your routine.

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If you receive a financial aid offer letter that's less than what you need to attend your target college, you may be able to appeal your offer. To do this, most colleges require an appeal letter — a note written to a financial aid administrator asking them to reconsider their decision regarding your aid amount.

Crafting an excellent financial aid appeal is your best chance of getting the money you need to attend your target school. While successful financial aid appeals are far from a sure thing, the worst that can happen is the administrator of financial assistance says no.

Before you write an appeal, you'll need to determine whether your circumstances merit an appeal letter. While financial aid administrators may update certain data elements that can alter financial aid decisions, they won't change your aid amount for just any reason. In reality, only a few situations warrant an appeal.

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Each year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as the FAFSA, opens Oct. 1.

Students seeking federal financial aid have until June 30 — around a year and a half after the FAFSA open date — to submit the form. Those who fail to file before the end of June will be ineligible to receive federal, state, and institutional aid for that FAFSA's academic year.

In addition to the federal deadline, students should be aware of state and institutional deadlines. States and schools run their own financial aid programs, which usually have deadlines much earlier than June 30.

With multiple deadlines to keep track of, navigating the U.S. financial aid system can be challenging. This guide will cover everything you need to know to submit the FAFSA on time and increase your chances of receiving aid for the 2023-24 school year.

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Many students face challenging situations that make them consider dropping out of college. Perhaps they think college is too complicated, too costly, too long, or too exhausting. And some want to feel more excited about what they’re studying.

Regardless of the reasons, giving up on college is a very drastic measure. Here are some of the significant reasons why education is worth pursuing and why dropping out of college is a bad idea:

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If thinking about not doing these things makes you uncomfortable, you may be experiencing FOMO: the fear of missing out. FOMO can cause significant stress, especially if a person is prone to anxiety or depression.

Want to know how to deal with it? You’re in luck!

In this article, our custom-writing experts will explain how to understand if you have FOMO and teach you how to get rid of it.

Study.com has created a comprehensive guide for students to provide them with critical information about how the can choose a college major that aligns with their interests and career goals. A Guide to Choosing Your College Major was designed to helps students understand the process and different approaches for picking a field of study. This guide offers in-depth information in several areas, including:

• A detailed explanation of many available majors, including in the humanities, STEM, and health care
• Guidance on how to declare a major, choose a minor, and even change majors
• A list of majors likely to lead to lucrative careers
• How students can choose a major based on their goals, personality, and interests

Being Productive at Home: 25 Tips for Students & Remote Workers

The COVID pandemic will eventually pass away, but the enormous societal changes that it has caused are around to stay. We have learned to work and study from home, and we have appreciated the benefits of such a lifestyle.

But positive changes always come with challenges.

Self-motivation, discipline, deadlines, and lack of communication are some of the forces that undermine our productivity at home.

This article is a comprehensive guide to working efficiently and happily from home. You’ll learn how to:

• stay focused
• structure your workflow
• arrange your space
• find your work-life balance
• motivate yourself

These five areas come with 25 pieces of priceless advice. Which ones will work for you?

A Guide for Women in Technology

Among other topics this guide covers:

• Why women have historically been underrepresented in the technology field
• What can be done to create gender parity in the technology industry
• Specific programs for women interested in pursuing a career in technology
• How things are changing for women in technology, especially for the earning power of millennials
• Scholarship opportunities for women pursuing studies in technology

Study.com recently developed a guide to help high school students start planning for college to know what to expect and what steps they need to take. The College Planning Guide for High School Students was designed to steer high school students through the often stressful and exciting college application process. This guide offers in-depth information in several areas, including:

• A year-by-year breakdown of tasks high school students should complete
• Recommendations on how students can decide upon an academic major
• An explanation of the different types of institutions of higher education available
• An introduction to securing financial aid or scholarships
• Pointers on how to prepare for standardized tests 

Students may also be interested in the Guide to Career Planning for High School Students, designed to help explore career options.

The resources for women in STEM and construction are disproportionately low. Even though construction leverages technology, engineering, and mathematics, it is one of the most underrepresented STEM fields. My team just published a new guide for women in construction. Resources for Women in Construction discusses the gender gap, skilled trades, educational resources, certifications, associations, conferences, grants, and scholarships.

We feel like there are not enough resources for women in STEM and construction. Including the guide will support diversity and improve representation for women in STEM. CLICK HERE  (houzz.com/pro-learn/blog/resources-for-women-in-construction)

Winning a College Scholarship: Ultimate Guide + Infographic

Tells about different types of awards, shows where to start the scholarship search, and offers many useful resources to help along the way:

https://ivypanda.com/blog/winning-a-college-scholarship/

Emerging Tech Cities for New College Grads.

This guide discusses five rising tech hubs that have not yet hit the mainstream for tech. These cities have developing tech sectors that offer low costs of living and strong salaries.

https://www.computerscience.org/resources/tech-cities-for-recent-grads/ 

Affordable College
Here’s everything you never wanted to know about affording college without loans.

https://joywallet.com/article/how-to-make-college-affordable-without-student-loans/

Best College Cities in The World
A recent review out of the UK analyzed college towns and university cities around the world to provide a definitive ranking of the best ones for students. Looking at affordability, social settings. inclusivity and nightlife, they found the best of the best. (And not one of them includes New York City!)

Here's a look at the world's best cities for students.
https://joywallet.com/article/best-cities-for-students/

READY FOR THE FUTURE…

You’re almost there. You have studied hard, set your goals, and you know what you want out of life.

The programs in this section will help you achieve your goals while providing you with opportunities to meet leaders in STEM fields, network with your peers and take another critical step on your road to success.

EXPLORING CAREERS AND MAJORS

There are many exciting careers in STEM, and you can learn more about your options by visiting sites like Collegeboard.org, MyPlan.com, and STEM-works.com. Websites like Collegeboard.org provide career overviews as well as advice on college majors that relate to particular careers. Another great resource are the many STEM professionals in the community. Chat with people you know in STEM fields to find out more about what they do and what classes they took in school. Take as many classes as you can in high school and college to determine which industry appeals most to you.

CHOOSING A SCHOOL

Once you have explored STEM careers and college majors, you are ready to start deciding on the degree type you want to pursue, and where to get it. There are STEM careers available for all educational levels, and the colleges and universities in the northeastern Maryland region offer programs for certificates, associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. All of these degree types are meant to prepare you for a successful career in STEM.

GET TO KNOW YOUR PROFESSORS

College professors are a great resource while in school and even after graduation. Unfortunately for students, many professors deal with hundreds of students a semester, and it is nearly impossible for them to get to know each student individually. A student must make an effort in order to get on their professor’s radar. This can be done by simply dropping them an email containing your name, your academic or career interests, and informing them that you are looking forward to their class. Additionally, by meeting with your professor during his or her office hours to ask questions about class material, homework, etc., you will have a better chance of him or her remembering you.

Having your professors know who you are on an individual basis will be important if you decide to ask him or her for a letter of recommendation, something essential for many scholarship and graduate programs.

Getting to know your professors goes beyond the occasional need for a letter of recommendation. Your professors have knowledge about careers, research opportunities, and how to succeed in college. He or she just might be your stepping stone into the research position you always wanted or even your dream job.

GET INVOLVED

College is a time for experiencing things beyond the classroom as well as a time for learning leadership and networking skills. Colleges and universities have a plethora of clubs and extra curricular activities to participate in. Joining these groups allow you to hone your socializing skills, build lasting relationships and get hands-on experience. Taking a leadership role in an extra curricular group can also expand your future opportunities and look great on your resume.

Additionally, almost all majors have research opportunities. Check a college’s website or contact their career center to find out what types of research are happening on and off campus.

Internships, co-ops and summer programs are also a great way to get hands-on experience that will get you ahead in any STEM career. Check out our links above for more information on internships & co-ops in the Northeastern Maryland area.

TAKE A VARIETY OF COLLEGE COURSES

Taking courses in a variety of subjects will help you explore your interests and introduce you to new topics. Employers like to see candidates that are well rounded, and many STEM careers benefit from individuals who have interdisciplinary backgrounds. All it takes is looking outside your major for classes that will expand your knowledge.

www.internships.com/science

www.internships.com/engineering

www.internships.com/technology
Click on the above link for additional internship listings and advice on finding the right internship for your interests and career goals.

Below is an alphabetical list of colleges and universities in the Northeastern Maryland area which offer programs in STEM. Click on the institution’s name for a list of the STEM related certificates, associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and/or doctoral degrees offered. Please check for their latest programs

Baltimore City Community College
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: http://www.bccc.edu/baltimoreccc

Cecil College
North East, Maryland
Website: http://www.cecil.edu

Community College of Baltimore County
Campus locations in Dundalk, Essex and Catonsville
Website: http://www.ccbcmd.edu/

Coppin State University
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: www.coppin.edu

Goucher College
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: www.goucher.edu

Harford Community College
Bel Air, Maryland
Webiste: www.harford.edu

Higher Education and Conference Center @ the HEAT Center
Aberdeen, Maryland
Website: http://www.heatcentermaryland.com/

ITT Technical Institute
Owings Mills, Maryland
Website: http://www.itt-tech.edu/campus/school.cfm?lloc_num=17

Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: http://www.jhu.edu/

Loyola University
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: www.loyola.edu

Morgan State University
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: www.morgan.edu

Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: http://www.ndm.edu/

Stevenson University
Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
Website: www.stevenson.edu/

TESST College Of Technology
Campus locations in Towson and Baltimore
Website: http://www.tesst.com/Pages/MicroPortalHome.aspx

Towson University
Towson, Maryland
Website: www.towson.edu/

University of Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: www.ubalt.edu

University of Maryland-Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: http://www.umaryland.edu/

University of Maryland- Baltimore County
Baltimore, Maryland
Website: www.umbc.edu/