Friday, April 24, 2015

College Tours: The May Workshop

As you all know, we will be having an optional college tours workshop on Friday May 8 from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. We will be touring Wright State University and Wittenberg University. If you don't know much about these two colleges, don't worry. Here is some background information to get you started. Remember, college tours are the best time to find out answers to any of your questions, so make sure you come prepared!

Wright State University

Wright State University is a medium-sized, 4-year, public university located in Dayton, OH. There are 12,682 undergraduate students and 2,284 degree-seeking freshmen. The average financial aid package averages at $10,735 with 70 percent of average financial need met. Wright State offers a wide-variety of majors, minors, and electives which can be found here.
Also check out Wright State University on Big Future by College Board to gather more information!

Student Support

40% of Wright State’s undergraduate student body is made up of first-generation college students. CLASS (Center for Liberal Arts Student Success) is a new initiative focused on student retention and career attainment, targeted to the services needed by Wright State’s Liberal Arts majors. CLASS enables first-generation students, as well as others, to access professional networks, use practical workshops in job search strategies, as well as other tools to access internships or field work experience. Read more about CLASS here.
Check out Wright State’s student support services page to learn about more opportunities.  

Housing

Wright State is primarily a commuter campus, so only 51% of first-year students live in college housing and 19% of all undergraduates live in college housing. However, if you do live on campus, there are many ways to make yourself feel at home.
Wright State offers a few different types of “Living Learning” communities. This program is designed to offer living arrangements to students with similar goals. The different communities allow students to extend studies beyond the classroom and in the daily experience.
First, is the Honors Community, which provides a quality living environment that allows students to grow and foster in their academic and personal lives. There is an Honors classroom in this community that will be used for classes that honors students share. The Honors Community also offers a convenient store/deli, computer network help station, and other student-oriented services.
There is also an Engineering and Computer Science community which is a new housing option for freshman majoring in that area. A teaching assistant lives in the residence hall and special activities are available for students to enjoy, including tutoring, special speakers, seminars, and help rooms.

Student Employment

Wright State’s Career Services connects students with on-campus supervisors who have part-time jobs. These jobs are funded through departmental budgets, institutional grants, and Federal Work-Study awards. While all students are eligible for jobs designated as On-Campus Regular student employment, only students who receive Federal Work Study Awards are eligible for jobs designated as On-Campus Work-Study. The Federal Work-Study program is a federal financial aid program for eligible students based on FAFSA.

Scholarships

More than 2,600 freshmen were awarded $9.5 million in scholarships during the 2014-2015 school year. Students submit one application to be considered for a multitude of merit-based scholarship. Check out the scholarship page for more details.
One particular scholarship to be aware of is The Chingfa Jang Memorial Scholarship Fund. This scholarship is awarded to students admitted to the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences. They have a preference to applicants who are first-generation college students. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and have a 3.0 GPA or higher to be considered for this $2,000 scholarship. To apply, students must apply for undergraduate admission and also complete the Wright State University Online Scholarship Application by February 18.

Honors Programs

Wright State’s honors program is open to all majors and provides a curriculum consisting of service learning courses, interdisciplinary core courses in the humanities and social sciences, broadly interdisciplinary upper-level topical seminars, and honors sections of Wright State core courses. Students select one of three honors designations which are listed on transcripts and commencement program. These three are the University Honors Scholar, Departmental Honors Scholar, and General Studies Honors Scholar

Click here to learn more about the Wright State Honors Program.

Wittenberg University


Wittenberg University is a small, 4-year, private liberal arts college located in Springfield, OH. There are 1,948 total undergraduate students and 516 degree-seeking freshmen. Wittenberg offers a wide-variety of majors, minors, and electives which can be found here. The average financial aid package is $33,733, with 83 percent of average financial need met. 

Student Support

Wittenberg offers a variety or counseling/wellness services as well as academic support services. These services include (but are not limited to), career counseling, minority student services, personal counseling, learning centers, and study skills assistance. Check out their personal and academic support page to learn more details.

Housing

At Wittenberg, 92% of first-year students live in college housing and 86% of total undergraduates live in college housing. The housing options include coed, men's, women's, wellness housing (drug/alcohol free), and theme housing. For regular residential housing, Wittenberg has seven options which you can learn about here.

Student Employment

Wittenberg's Student Employment Office is open to all students who have been issued a work award in the financial aid package. These awards are both Federal Work-Study and Student Employment. On campus, student have the opportunity to work one on one with processors and in many of the offices on campus. Working off-campus allows students to connect with t he Springfield community in schools, businesses, and other work settings.

Scholarships

There are many scholarship opportunities available when attending Wittenberg University. There are merit-based university scholarships, special interest awards, Lutheran scholarships, and legacy/alumni awards. Students are automatically considered for Wittenberg Scholarships when applying for admissions. For priority consideration, apply by December 1. All scholarships are able to be renewed for all four years as long as the student is in good academic standing. Check out all the different types of scholarship opportunities here

Honors Programs

The University Honors Program at Wittenberg aims provide optimal acadmic and social climate for students of high academic potential. Any student who maintains a GPA of 3.5 or higher in their first or second year is invited to apply to the Honors program during spring semester. To graduate with University HOnors, students must complete at least two Honors seminars, complete and defend and Honors Thesis in their major, and maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA.


Now that you have a bit of base information on Wright State University and Wittenberg University, you should be able to start formulating some questions to bring on the tours. There will be one more blog post to come with the types of questions that are valuable to ask on college tours. If you have any suggestions, feel free to email us at ubou67@gmailcom or message us on Facebook!

Friday, April 10, 2015

Education Around the World: The April Workshop



Get ready for Saturday's workshop: Education Around the World! We will be learning all about study abroad and we will be having four international student panelists speaking about their personal experiences. Here they are:

Sana Mahmud- Pakistan

Mohammed Meissara - Mauritania

Sherica Hawthorne - Jamaica

Sankerdas Latthanlot - Laos

In the meantime, here is some general information about the benefits of studying abroad. Take a look and then come to the workshop with questions to ask us or the panelists!

Benefits
  • Experience a Foreign Culture
    Studying abroad may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people.Typically, college is the best time to travel because students are young, independent, and don't have any harsh commitments. Well, besides schoolwork, but that is the point of studying abroad. It allows you to continue your education while being immersed in a completely different culture. When you are out of school and working, it will be much harder to devote a large chunk of time to traveling. So think about the future and whether or not you will have the opportunity again after college.
  • Learn How to Communicate Among Cultures
    Language is just one different cultural aspect that students will experience while studying abroad. Even if the country you are living in is English-speaking, there will still be more cultural barriers that you will have to break through. Studying abroad will give you first-hand experience with the customs and traditions of that particular country. Then you will be able to compare what you have learned to the customs and traditions of the U.S.
  • Manage Finances
    Living in a different country will force you to become familiar with different forms of currency, living expenses, and general cost differences. In general, it will provide a great lesson on how to manage your own money while living on your own.
  • Increase Independence
    Although going to a college is an independent experience of its own, studying abroad takes it to another level. If you decide to travel to another to country to further your education, it is likely that you aren't taking your family and friends along with you. Living in a new, unfamiliar place all on your own may be overwhelming or scary at times, but it can help you learn adaptability and responsibility. It will also help you grow as a whole.
  • Attract Future Employers
    All of the benefits that we have discussed so far are also what will make you more attractive to future employers. A successful study abroad experience will truly show that you are a responsible, mature, and independent person. Check out this article by Experience.com to read more reasons why employers like study abroad.
If you are intimidated by the commitment, price, or requirements of study abroad, check out this Huffington Post article, "Busting the Top 10 Study Abroad Myths."

If you have any immediate questions or comments, feel free to email us at ubou67@gmail.com or message us on Facebook. See you Saturday!


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

ACT Tips and Strategies

Taking the ACT can become much less intimidating if you utilize resources available to help you prepare for the official test. It is important to become acquainted with the test format, type of questions, and rules before you take the ACT for the first time. Going in blind-sided is exactly what you DON’T want to do; so let’s go over the rules and guidelines of the ACT and the best ways you can prepare.

There are four sections of the ACT that are composed of a series of multiple choice questions; English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. The optional Writing section of the ACT consists of one essay prompt. Here are the number of questions in each section and the time limits.

English
75 questions in 45 minutes. (1.67 questions per minute). Tests standard written English and rhetorical skills.
Here is a list of English ACT strategies from Online Test Prep.

Mathematics
60 questions in 60 minutes. (1 question per minute). Measures skills that have been learned through the 12th grade.
Erik the Red provides a great list of strategies for taking the Math section of the ACT.

Reading
40 questions in 35 minutes. (1.14 questions per minute). Measures reading comprehension.
Online Test Prep also provides great strategies for the Reading section here.

Science
40 questions in 35 minutes. (1.14 questions per minute). Measures interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills used in natural science.

Writing (Optional)
1 prompt in 30 minutes. Tests skills learned in high school level English classes and entry-level college composition classes.

Here are a few ways to prepare for the ACT:

Get a test prep book
The Real ACT Prep Guide is a great resource for high school students when preparing for the ACT. It includes five practice tests that have been used prior along with explanations for every right and wrong answer. It also includes test-taking strategies for all of the sections: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Writing (optional). The book also reviews the formatting and structure of the test and gives tips on how prepare for test day.
To use this book in the most effective way, put yourself in a test-like setting and set a timer when taking each practice test. When you are done taking each section, check over the answers and be sure to understand why you missed what you missed. See if there is a general theme in the questions that you answered correctly and incorrectly. Once you have pinpointed those strengths and weaknesses, you will be able to prepare more for the next practice test.

Sign up for the “ACT question of the day”
Answering a daily ACT question is a great way to keep your mind refreshed on the type of questions that will be asked on the official test. This is also a good option if you don’t have a lot of time to take full practice tests multiple times. ACT.org posts a new ACT Test practice question on their site every day. Each question can come from the English, Mathematics, Reading, or Science section. There are also apps on iPhone and Android that offer daily ACT-like questions.

Refresh yourself on basic skills
The Mathematics section of the ACT can be difficult if you don’t remember any of the basic formulas that you have learned in school. There is not a formula sheet provided during the test, so you will need to refresh your skills beforehand. Erik the Red also provides a list of math rules and formulas that may appear on the ACT. It won’t hurt to look over this list to make sure you are ahead of the game.

Utilize online resources
Advice from Morgan: “The website Sophia.org offers excellent test prep videos that offer great explanations and strategies for taking the test. In my opinion, these videos rival any prep book.”
So check out Sophia.org and ACT.org to see what type of tools and tips they offer. Anything can help!


If you have any questions or concerns, email us at ubou67@gmail.com or message us on Facebook!