The Complete and Only College Essentials Checklist You’ll Ever Need

The Complete and Only College Essentials Checklist You’ll Ever Need

There are 169 occupations, if not more, that require a college degree. Is your career field one of those 169 occupations?

Heading off to college is a big step towards the beginning of your future. Not only does graduating from college prepare you for a new career in a field you’re interested in, but it also provides you with many other opportunities. Attending college comes with several benefits that you can’t get anywhere else.

Before that can happen, though, you need to review your college essentials checklist. Going to college is an exciting experience that might leave you feeling nervous at times as well.

To help ease some of those nerves and ensure you’re prepared for the semester ahead of you, continue reading below. Here are all the essentials you need before seeking a college education!

Health Records

When you were in elementary and middle school, you most likely remember visiting the doctor’s office for a regular checkup, physical, and vaccines before each new school year. In high school, you might have needed to get a physical done before playing sports.

College is no exception. Before you can attend classes, you must submit all of your health records to the university. You might have to do this before the school allows you to sign up for classes.

If you don’t have updated health records, then ask the college if they offer a clinic on campus for students. Most campuses have an on-site clinic where students can quickly obtain any required health records.

A Major in Mind

If this is your first year in college, then you might not have an exact idea of what you want to major in. This is normal, so don’t panic. You might also know exactly what you want to major in and then switch career paths halfway through college.

This is okay as well. College isn’t about knowing exactly what you want to do, taking those classes, and graduating (although you certainly can go about it this way). For many, however, college is about the experience.

This is where many students figure out what it is they want to do with the rest of their lives. You might not figure it out until your last year, but with so many professors, advisors, other college students, and various courses to take, you’re sure to find your path down the road.

Take your time if needed and explore your options. Speak with advisors about your interests and what might be a right fit for you. You may end up learning about a degree you never knew existed.

For example, if you graduate with a liberal arts degree, you have more options than you might think. You can become a teacher with this degree, and that’s just one option! Always speak with professors, other college students, and advisors to help you find the right degree for you.

A Class Schedule

Unlike high school and all grades below it, you won’t be given a printed-out, pre-selected class schedule. No one will choose your classes for you in college. You can always visit an advisor to have them help you create your schedule, but the classes you take are ultimately up to you.

If you do have a specific major in mind, then you’ll receive a sheet of courses you must take to graduate with that major. Use this sheet as a reference and start selecting your classes. You should be able to do this on the college’s website after logging in to your account.

Make sure to choose times that work well for you and courses you’d like to take during the same semester. For example, it’s always nice to have two or three main courses and one or two elective courses.

Course-Specific Textbooks

You won’t know what textbooks you need until you sign up for your classes. After signing up for a class, your professor will send out a syllabus. Read the syllabus thoroughly.

On the syllabus, there’s a list of required textbooks. You can then visit the campus bookstore to buy or rent your texts. Do some research to determine if there’s a used bookstore near campus where you can also buy or rent texts at a discounted price.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to your professors as well to determine if you do, in fact, need the text for class since some professors don’t use it.

Classroom Supplies

You may be tempted to hit up your local office supplies store and purchase a multitude of index cards, sticky notes, highlighters, and pens. Stop right there. Also located on the syllabi given to you by your professors will be a list of items required for their classes.

To save money, only buy what’s needed. You can get a few packs of pens and pencils since you’ll need those in every class, but don’t go all out until you know exactly what’s needed. You can also purchase a laptop and headphones, as you’ll need these throughout your entire college career.

Dorm Room Essentials

Not every college student stays on campus in a dorm room. If you are staying in a dorm, then it’s time to start shopping for all your dorm room essentials. Think of it as your own little apartment.

Microwaves, toaster ovens, mini-fridges, comforter sets, safe boxes, organizational storage bins, and decorations are all common items found in a dorm room. Try to bring what you can from home to save money, such as your own TV, bed sets, hangers, and anything else you can bring along.

A Weekly Planner

Taking multiple college courses at one time is expected, but that doesn’t make it easy. When going to college full-time, you’re going to have a lot of assignments and due dates to remember. If you don’t have a planner, then it can get overwhelming.

Keep a weekly planner with you everywhere you go. Make sure to buy one with lots of space for notes under each date. You can then add assignments, quizzes, projects, and tests down in your planner, so nothing’s forgotten.

What’s on Your College Essentials Checklist?

What items will you include in your own college essentials checklist? Make sure to review all of the items listed in our checklist above to help you create your own. It’s also beneficial to bring healthy, high-protein snacks and a refillable water bottle with you while on campus.

With all of these essential items on hand, you’re prepared to have an amazing college experience! Want to learn more about becoming a teacher and what jobs are available? Be sure to visit here daily for new helpful posts.

I Lost My Diploma! How to Get a Replacement Copy

I Lost My Diploma! How to Get a Replacement Copy

Your diploma is an important document that displays your educational accomplishments. So when you are looking for your high school diploma and/or college diploma, it is easy to panic with good reason.

Many employers or other educational institutions still ask for diplomas or other proofs of graduation. If not, then you can lose the chance of getting a better job or educational prospect. So how do you get a new diploma if you cannot find yours?

If you’ve ever exclaimed to yourself “I lost my diploma!”, this article will tell you how to fix it and replace your diploma.

Ask Your High School or College for a Diploma Replacement

Oftentimes, your high school or college will have a school district or registrar’s office that will allow you to get a new one. A registrar’s office is a good place to request a new one since they maintain all student records and transcripts.

Each school or college will have different procedures for obtaining a new diploma. To request a new one, prove your identity by sending a copy of your ID or telling them important information like your date of birth. You might need to pay a small fee for a copy of your diploma to be sent to you.

Write an Order to Replace a High School or College Diploma

When you contact your high school or college, sometimes they may need a written request for a diploma replacement to process it in their system. Some of the points that need to be attached to the request include:

  • Driver’s license or passport
  • Birth certificate
  • Notarized copy of the Letter of Appointment of Executor or Power of Attorney
  • The reason you need a diploma replacement
  • Degree(s) earned
  • Name of the institution and graduation date

What exactly the school needs will vary depending on their policies.

Get It Through the Mail

Once you have that information, you will need to fill out the request application and send it in the mail to your high school or college.

When it is sent, finding a new diploma in the mail will take time. It may take four to six weeks to get a new high school or college diploma. But, some colleges and universities may have the replacement process take up to ten weeks to fulfill.

When You Say “I Lost My Diploma”, Find a Solution ASAP

“I lost my diploma!” It’s a sentence many of us do not want to say or realize has happened. In the event you lose your diploma, it is a situation you should solve as soon as possible. Hopefully, the advice listed above can help you get a new version of your diploma in as little time as possible.

We hope this article about diploma replacement helps you out in the unfortunate chance it happens to you. For more educational articles that can help you out, check out the other articles we have in the Education section.

Tips for Writing an Application Letter for College

Tips for Writing an Application Letter for College

College application letters for students are very important and need to be done right because they can be the difference between one being accepted for a college or not. A well-written application letter displays a student’s interest in studying a particular college as well as how their background put them in a good position to do well at the course they apply for. Below are the tips a student needs to know to produce the perfect application letter for college.

Do a background check on the college and course before writing the application letter.

As a student, you have to make sure that you do your homework on the college, see the quality that they bring to the table, their pass rate and the qualities needed to do well over there. Some of the things that are needed will be clear to see on the college website or their booklet but it doesn’t hurt to look for extra information about the college as well as the course you are doing.

If the course requirements are more than you can handle, it will be a waste of time applying to that particular course. Write an application letter to study something that you can handle as well as put you on the right path to have a fruitful career when you have completed it. If you know someone who has done the course you are applying for, ask them for advice. They might give you some useful tips and tricks you will need to make the course a walk in the park.

Provide a list of all your skills and educational background.

Your educational background and skills are your interests, your certificates, and awards, your personal qualities, experiences, motives as well as knowledge. You have to provide at least seven or eight reasons why the college should take you on board to study the course you are applying for.

For each of your skills, make sure you put a phrase to accompany it.

During the phrase, you have to make sure that you show the college how that skill helped you succeed throughout your education. You can say something that “I possess strong interviewing, proofreading as well as interviewing skills which help me become a skillful reporter for my previous school. Do not be afraid to put a string of skills together on one phrase to let the college know how committed you are to join their ranks and be successful.

In the opening statement of your application letter, be specific about the course you want to study.

We all have different passions and if you are passionate about numbers and want to study an accounting course at a particular college, let them know from the get-go that this is something you want to pursue. If the college has a student in their roaster that referred you to the college and the course, it is worth mentioning them at the start of the application letter as well.

Make sure that your tone is very enthusiastic and strong from the first paragraph to the last because you want to make a good first impression. Showing a lack of enthusiasm and eagerness to be part of an educational institution in your application will most likely get it rejected.

No college wants a student to feel forced into studying at their building, they want a student that wants to be there and further their studies to be the best they can be in the future. This is why it is super important to make your opening statement your best one while being specific about what you want to study.

Make your paragraphs short and to the point.

Since the college administration will have to filter through thousands and thousands of applications from students, you have to make your paragraphs short. This will help your application get scanned quicker without overwhelming the college personnel reading it. Do your best to write a maximum of seven lines per paragraph. This makes your application very pleasing on the eye and structured.

Highlight any high level of recognition you have gotten from your previous colleges/schools.

An example of this can be being named student present at your previous college or school. You can something like “When I was studying at (Name of school/college), I was named student president because I lead by example and all the other students in the school looked up to me. On top of being a good role model, I also displayed good leadership skills and acted as a link between my fellow students and the faculty. It is this reason I was named voted student president by my peers and I carried my duties out with dignity and pride”

Use an amazing closing statement to reaffirm your willingness and desire to study the course you are applying for at that particular college.

You have to let the college know how they are a good match for you and how studying with them will set you on the right path to get a good job in the future. Just like your opening statement, you have to make this one count as well. Stick to the point, don’t overelaborate and bore the person who is evaluating them. Reaffirm your desire and willingness to study at their campus and everything should be ok.

If a student follows the professional writing tips borrowed from CustomWritings that have been suggested above, they will be able to come up with an application essay or letter that any college will find hard to overlook or ignore. The most important thing is to show that you are serious about studying at their campus and making your paragraphs short while highlighting your key skills. The words that you use and the structure is important too as that will also set you apart from the many other applicants who are also looking for a spot at the college.

Getting Into a College Preparatory School

Getting Into a College Preparatory School

You’ve thought about the benefits, weighed the pros and cons, and you’ve decided that college prep is the right choice for your child. Now comes the part you’ve been worrying about – the application process. Seen by some as a precursor to the college admittance process, getting into a college preparatory school comes with its pitfalls and challenges. Luckily, there are a few ways to make the admission process a little less stressful and increase your odds of getting the answer you’re hoping for.

1. Do Your Research

This is a big decision, so take your time and do your homework. You want to make sure the school has the things you and your child are looking for. Does it focus on a well-rounded child? Are arts a priority? What is the community like? The more information you have, the better equipped you’ll be to make the right choice for your child.

2. Get the Letters

College prep is about more than just academics – it’s about creating well-rounded individuals. The school will look to recommendation letters to get an idea of what your child is like academically and socially. As such a significant part of the process, make these a priority early on. Find the teachers or coaches that know your child personally and will speak well of them both socially and academically. And get started soon: writing a good letter takes time, and you want to make sure you get them all in before the deadline.

3. Be Punctual

Speaking of deadlines, check them. Double-check them. Recheck them. These are not flexible dates. Get your application (and all the transcripts and recommendation letters) in as soon as they’re done, not when it’s down to the wire.

4. Be Honest

Of course, you want your child to get into college prep, but you also want it to be the right place for them. Don’t fudge the details to make your child seem like a better applicant; it’s easy to see through and ultimately will backfire. Instead, let your child’s unique skills and personality shine through in all the answers (and particularly their essay). The right school will appreciate your child for exactly who they are.

5. Focus on the Essay

The essay is a vital part of the application process: it lets your child have their voice and express their thoughts and opinions. College prep schools take these very seriously, and so should you. Read over the topic thoroughly, and have your child think about their answer. Review their rough drafts and help them with their grammar; after all, you want the essay to put your child’s best face forward.

6. Nail the Interview

Generally, college prep schools ask for an interview before making their decision. Most schools consider the in-person interview to be critical, so make it your priority to do this in-person if at all possible. The interview is the perfect time for your child to shine. If they’re nervous, you can do practice interviews with them to set them at ease. You want your child to feel confident, prepared, and ready to take on the world. The right attitude can make or break a college prep school interview, so make sure your child is prepared for anything.