College Grants.org http://www.collegegrants.org Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:22:56 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 A College Student’s Guide to Resume Writing http://www.collegegrants.org/resume-writing/ http://www.collegegrants.org/resume-writing/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:43:35 +0000 henry http://www.collegegrants.org/?p=788 Your resume markets you. It tells an employer about your work experience, your education, your targeted and adaptable skills, your certifications and whether or not you can fit into a global market. It doesn’t matter if you are applying for a local manufacturing job or applying for a graduate position in public relations. Conveying that you have the skills a global market demands is key to setting your resume apart from the masses. Sending the right resume positions you in the race for an open job. Employers also use resumes and cover letters screen out ill-suited prospective employees.

Cover Letter

If your cover letter is haphazardly written, unorganized with extraneous information that bears little of no meaningful insight into why an employer should look at your resume, consider your resume tossed. Cover letters must be professional, not overtly friendly. You’re looking for a job, a career, not a buddy. Human resource offices are flooded with resumes. Your cover letter must concisely state how your experience, goals and values will fit the organization and fulfill the job requirements.

Styles of Resumes

Resume styles change over the years. If you are looking at a “how-to” book from the 1980s, you will see three types of resume styles: chronological, functional and targeted. Anything over one page was a no-no. Today’s resumes play to a different market. You are competing globally and locally. Resume styles are chronological and reverse-chronological, functional and hybrid or combination. Every resume should be targeted and not general. Employers expect you to do your research on the companies you are applying to. Resumes can go over a page if needed and those with teaching or other professional experience such as engineering may have resumes of 7 pages. Educators often choose to use a specialized resume called a curriculum vitae—Latin for “course of life.”

Resume Templates

You know the information you want to write on your resume. You have no clue how to start it or format it. Resume templates can help organize your thoughts. Most simply allow you to plug in your experience in a ready-to-print template. Some templates are online and allow you to submit your resume with a click of the mouse.

Resume Resources

Resumes are either paper or digital. Paper resumes should visually appeal to the reader, meaning that you use no special font or type size. Stick with what works and is easy on the eyes: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial and Times New Roman in 10 or 12 points. Keep your paper white, ivory or light gray unless you are an artist sure that any other color won’t get your resume tossed in the nearest trash bin. Write in the “active past”—“Led 30 team members…” not “I lead 30 team members.” Above all, proofread! Just one typo can put you out of the running for the job.

Examples of Resumes

Resume examples abound on the web. When you search for a resume sample, make sure to search by type of resume, whether it is a teaching, military or other career and put last year’s date in the search field. This will help you target recent samples that fit today’s job market. You don’t want to follow a sample dated from 1999, even if it is a sample from a well-known university.

Employment Websites

If you choose to post your resume online at one of the mega-resume sites like monster.com or careerbuilder.com, you need to understand two things. One, you are competing worldwide. Two, your resume will be buried unless you purchase premium resume location. Typically, headhunters and human resource personnel won’t peruse past the first page they pull up on a search. They don’t have the time and many figure that if you don’t care enough to make your resume stand out among the rest, then you aren’t serious about your qualifications or the position.

]]> http://www.collegegrants.org/resume-writing/feed/ 0 Study Skills and Other Helpful Resources for College Students http://www.collegegrants.org/study-skills/ http://www.collegegrants.org/study-skills/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:41:24 +0000 henry http://www.collegegrants.org/?p=785 Attending college for the first time is an exciting, yet daunting, prospect. College students have a lot more freedom than high school students, which means they can make their own decisions. This is a double-edged sword, as many new college students are not used to taking responsibility for their daily schedules and their academic achievements. Developing good study skills is one of the best ways to achieve success in college and create a bright outlook for the future. Developing good writing skills and learning how to take tests will help college students get the best grades possible, improving their chances of winning scholarships or getting hired for good jobs immediately after graduation. Success in college also depends on good time management. When a college student manages his or her time well, there is enough time for studying and socializing. Poor time management makes it difficult to balance the academic demands of college with the desire to have a social life.

These resources offer practical information and tips on developing good study skills. Some of the resources include templates to help students plan their schedules or record their study time. This list of resources also includes articles on giving presentations, conducting research, and preparing for life after college. All of this information can help college students succeed in school and after graduation.

Note-Taking

  • Taking Lecture and Class Notes: This resource from the Dartmouth Academic Skills Center offers tips for taking notes in class. This page also offers handouts for students to download.
  • Sharpen Your Note-Taking Skills (PDF): This guide explains how to take notes effectively. One of the tips offered is to use a three-ring binder instead of a spiral notebook, as this makes it easier to add or delete notes.
  • Five Note-Taking Methods (PDF): This resource outlines the five different note-taking methods typically used by college students.
  • The Cornell Note-Taking System (PDF): This guide explains how to use the Cornell note-taking system to take notes effectively.
  • Note-Taking Overview: This resource explains why note-taking is important.

Reading/Research

Study Skills

Writing Skills

  • Guide to Grammar and Writing: This site contains information about developing good writing skills. It also offers interactive grammar quizzes for students who need to improve their writing skills.
  • Writing Tips: This article includes 10 tips for good writing in college.
  • Writing in College: This in-depth guide contains information to help college students develop their writing strategies.
  • How to Write an Abstract: This article explains how to write an abstract for a research paper.
  • Collection of Writing Tips: This page links to dozens of tips for writing college papers.

Time Management

Test-Taking

Presentation Skills

Preparing for the Future

]]> http://www.collegegrants.org/study-skills/feed/ 0 A Future Student’s Guide to Grants & Loans http://www.collegegrants.org/grants-vs-loans/ http://www.collegegrants.org/grants-vs-loans/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:30:55 +0000 henry http://www.collegegrants.org/?p=778 In order to qualify for financial aid you need to complete a Federal Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. It is recommended that all students apply even if they believe they won’t need the aid. You never know when you might encounter a monetary hiccup. There are various forms of financial aid each with different requirements and expectations. Whichever you choose, apply early. Some work on a first come, first serve basis.

Grants & Scholarships

Grants are given to students by federal and state governments for free. This means they do not have to be paid back. Scholarships are like grants in that they do not need to be paid back. However, scholarships do not come from the government. Instead, they come from a wide variety of sources including employers, church groups, independent organizations, high schools and even the colleges themselves. Scholarships can provide a student with any amount of money. Some offer one-time scholarships paying a few hundred dollars while others may offer a scholarship that is renewed every year for four years and can pay for some or all of a student’s college expenses. Obtaining an all-encompassing scholarship takes a great academic record, persistence with applications and some serious luck. When searching for scholarships, do not overlook yours or your parents’ places of work. Also see if there are scholarship opportunities available in the department you plan to major in.<

Loans

Student loans come from banks and like their name suggests, the money is being “loaned.” Therefore, unlike grants and scholarships, loans need to be paid back. There are three main types of student loans. Subsidized and unsubsidized loans are backed by the federal government while private student loans come from third parties. Loans are fairly easy to obtain, but they are also risky. Student loans generally have a higher interest rate than most other loans because students frequently defer the loans when they cannot afford to start paying them off as soon as their contract states.

Specified Grants & Loans

Some organizations offer grants, scholarships and loans to groups of people that might find it excessively difficult to afford a college education. Many specified financial aid resources exist for minority groups, low-income families, disabled students, students from overseas who are attending school here as part of a study abroad program, and more. Another option is to join the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) which exists for nearly every branch of the American military. Students will spend most of their time on campus but also improve their strength and discipline at a military base. 

  • Stafford Loans for Students: Details on the requirements and the two types of one of the most popular student loans.
  • What is Financial Aid?: All about financial aid, the four main types, and how people are supposed to pay back their loans.
  • Boren Awards: Funding opportunities for students studying geography, foreign language or any subject relative to national security.
  • Student Aid on the Web: Get money for college by applying for loans and FAFSA.
  • What is Financial Aid: Four steps that need to be completed prior to receiving aid.
  • Federal Stafford Loans: What are these loans and how are they repaid?
  • Benefits: Use this site to figure out which government benefits you’re eligible for.
  • Pell Grants: These scholarships can cover up to $5550 in college expenses.
  • Investing in Pell Grants: The White House is working to raise the maximum amount that a Pell Grant can provide to students.
  • American Association of Community Colleges: Even if you attend community college, live at home and buy meals on a budget, the cost of tuition can be a bit much. That is why there are financial aid opportunities for community college students as well.
  • Scholarships and Financial Aid: A guide to applying for Federal Student Aid.
  • More Information on Pell Grant: Discover the specifics of this program that helps countless college students every year.
  • Federal Repayment Policy: What if you decide college is not for you and you withdraw? You may need to repay even the grants you were given. Title IV outlines this procedure.
  • Managing Student Debt: If you take out loans to pay for college you will need to pay it back after you get your degree. Living with debt can be tough but here are some tips to help you pay it off without sacrificing a reasonably comfortable life.
  • College Funding for Students with Disabilities: What Federal and State programs are available to disabled students?
  • Disabilities: Just because an individual is physically or mentally disabled does not mean they should be deprived of a higher education. This site lists scholarship, grant and loan opportunities specifically geared toward disabled Americans.
  • Grants for Individuals: This site lists dozens of scholarship opportunities strictly for ethnic minorities in the United States.
  • Grants for Minorities: Like the site above, this site features a long list of scholarship programs for African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and other minority groups.
  • NROTC: Reserve Officers Training Corps or ROTC programs are a great way to get funding for college and to strengthen yourself in mind and body. This link will take you to the Navy ROTC program.
  • Guide to Scholarships for New Americans and Minorities: When enrolling in a college, what tests are prerequisites and how can they affect the financial aid available to you?
]]> http://www.collegegrants.org/grants-vs-loans/feed/ 0 A Guide To Standardized Testing http://www.collegegrants.org/standardized-testing/ http://www.collegegrants.org/standardized-testing/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:05:10 +0000 henry http://www.collegegrants.org/?p=773 Standardized testing is a practice through which tests are administered under a universal set of conditions that give all participants the same chances for success. These tests are designed and scored through the application of consistent guidelines, and test-takers all receive the same questions and time limits. Examples of standardized tests that students in the United States take include the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-10), the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and the SAT Reasoning Test. Since their inception within the education system, these tests have supplied data on how students compare state-wide and nation-wide with peers at the same academic level. While some education professionals find considerable merit in standardized testing, others express criticisms regarding the usefulness of these tests.

History of Standardized Testing In The US

In the US, standardized testing was introduced during World War I (1917-18), when intelligence tests known as the Army Alpha and Beta Tests were administered to groups of soldiers. Standardized educational assessments soon followed – the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was developed in 1926, and the American College Test (ACT) was introduced in 1959. Originally scored by hand, standardized tests were first scanned automatically in 1936 through the use of the IBM 805 computer. Public schools were mandated to utilize standardized testing in 1965 with the passing of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Testing Standards

Rigorous standards are applied in the development of these tests in order to ensure that the results are accurate, valid, and reliable. The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation has published three volumes that guide standardized test developers in producing quality assessments. These publications are known as The Student Evaluation Standards, The Personnel Evaluation Standards, and The Program Evaluation Standards (2nd edition). In addition to providing guidelines on the design of standardized tests, the three publications outline procedures for implementing these tests within educational settings.

Design & Scoring

Standardized test series can differ from one another in design and in how their results are scored. Tests that are structured in a true/false or multiple-choice format are efficiently scored by computer. Assessments that involve essay questions or short-answer questions, each of which require hand-written responses, are scored by human evaluators who adhere to strict guidelines. Many standardized tests comprise a mix of these formats, necessitating the use of both machines and people to complete the scoring process.

Advantages, Disadvantages, & Criticisms

Standardized tests are advantageous for several reasons: they hold public schools accountable in terms of academic performance, they offer teachers insight on their students’ strengths and weaknesses in individual subjects, and they provide higher-learning institutions with an objective measurement of applicants’ abilities within the classroom. Because standardized tests are administered in a manner that places students on equal ground with one another, their results are generally more reliable than those of tests given under variable conditions. Conversely, the disadvantages of standardized assessments include the pressure felt by teachers to structure lessons around test material and the inability of the tests to measure a student’s creative thinking skills. Some critics argue that in certain instances, the assessments are not truly standardized, such as when test-takers with special needs require time limit or environmental adjustments.

Influences on College Admission

Standardized tests such as the SATs and the ACTs can have a big impact on the colleges you will be admitted to. The better standardized test scores a student receives, the more likely they are to get into a good college or the college of their choice. Colleges tend to rely heavily on standardized test scores during the admission process. While some schools are starting to rely less on standardized test scores, most of them still do so achieving high scores on the SATs and ACTs will help ensure that a student gets into a college of their choice.

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