Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Monday, December 19, 2011
As a college student, I know how hard paying for college can be, that’s why it’s super important for me as a parent to instill in my children the importance of good grades and saving money for their college tuition! Since I’m so passionate about the importance of college, not only for me, but for my children as well, I wanted to share an awesome partnership between Foot Locker and DoSomething.org to offer 20 scholarships to 20 young athletes!
If you know a college-bound student who excels on the court/field and in the classroom you definitely want to check this out!
Getting your kids into college is only half the battle. Then you have to pay for it.
Foot Locker and DoSomething.org have partnered to offer 20 college scholarships to 20 amazing young student athletes. The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program honors students who demonstrate academic excellence and show their strength of character and devotion to their sports, as well as their communities. Students will be rewarded not because they scored the most touchdowns or ran the fastest mile, but because they have become strong leaders in the community, exemplifying sportsmanship both on and off the field. It is the award for flexing heart, not muscle.
Students can apply online or be nominated by teachers, coaches, friends and family by visiting www.dosomething.org/footlocker. Application closes on January 9, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. (EST).
Applicants must be college-bound, participate in a sport and maintain a 3.0 GPA. Participants will be required to submit three essays and two recommendations. All applications will be reviewed by a panel of scholarship experts and celebrity judges.
Fastweb, a trusted scholarship and financial aid resource used by students to help find opportunities to pay for school, is supporting the scholarship program.
The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes program is a part of the Foot Locker Foundation, Inc., which is dedicated to providing monetary support for educational and sports programs across the country.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
I just wanted to let y’all know that I might not be around much the rest of the week! I will get giveaway winners drawn and emailed (though winner’s posts may or may not happen) so make sure to check your email!!!!
In addition to this being my last week of school for the semester (thank goodness for Christmas break—I’m in major need of some time off from school) it’s finals week and that means exams, papers and more papers! So I am going to be busy—please believe me when I say that I would much rather be writing for y’all as opposed to writing about sexism and racism in education institutions (the topic of one of my papers).
On top of finals Lil’ Diva will be having oral surgery this Thursday (please keep her in your thoughts…she’s been miserable with a bad toothache for the past several days) to repair a broken tooth and fill some cavities. FYI the whole “giving your child a cup (of anything) at night is just as bad as giving them a bottle at night” is TRUE and the cavities that Lil Diva has to have filled are proof of that! We spent all day today at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati and were extremely lucky to get a surgery date so soon! While I HATE the idea of any of my children having surgery, I am thankful that the dentist can go in and fix all of the teeth at once without traumatizing Lil’ Diva with multiple visits! So please keep her in your thoughts and pray that she’s back up and running around being her normal silly self very soon!
So, that’s how I’ll be spending the rest of my week! I hope your week is shaping up to be a less eventful one than mine!
See y’all soon!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Well, it’s week 2 of fall semester for me and I am already officially exhausted! Between my family, my blog, and school I barely have time to sleep, not that my children would allow that to happen anyway. I started out this semester with 4 classes, but after the disaster that was last semester I decided not to make my GPA suffer anymore and I dropped my algebra class, believe there was no love loss, I detest math.
In case you don’t already know I am currently a junior at Northern Kentucky University, though I swear it feels like I’ve been in school forever, and I’m what one would call a “non-traditional student” meaning that I take my classes online. I have been an online student for most of my college career, and it definitely has it advantages, but it can also be rather annoying. One of the best things about being an online student is that I can be home with my children while still attending school, unfortunately that’s also one of the worst things about being an online student. Of course, there’s also Blackboard, the online course delivery system, that is a major thorn in my side.
I’ve been using Blackboard to access my courses online for a few years now and every single year there seem to be a whole new host of problems; from not being able to use the FireFox browser to access BB (the one and only browser that seems to work without major hiccups is IE, does anyone even use that anymore?) to not being able send big files it’s just one mess after another. It may not sound like a huge deal that I can’t transfer large files without a headache, but when you have an assignment that consists of Word documents, images, flow charts, and various other attachments that you can’t send all at once due to size restrictions, it is the worst!
Aside from having issues with browsers and large file transfer, I am trying to stay positive this semester, I mean, the semester only really started I’m sure it can get a lot worse—maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud. Alright I’m off to knock on some wood and find my lucky rabbits foot, I’ll keep you updated as this semester progresses.
In case you don’t already know I am currently a junior at Northern Kentucky University, though I swear it feels like I’ve been in school forever, and I’m what one would call a “non-traditional student” meaning that I take my classes online. I have been an online student for most of my college career, and it definitely has it advantages, but it can also be rather annoying. One of the best things about being an online student is that I can be home with my children while still attending school, unfortunately that’s also one of the worst things about being an online student. Of course, there’s also Blackboard, the online course delivery system, that is a major thorn in my side.
I’ve been using Blackboard to access my courses online for a few years now and every single year there seem to be a whole new host of problems; from not being able to use the FireFox browser to access BB (the one and only browser that seems to work without major hiccups is IE, does anyone even use that anymore?) to not being able send big files it’s just one mess after another. It may not sound like a huge deal that I can’t transfer large files without a headache, but when you have an assignment that consists of Word documents, images, flow charts, and various other attachments that you can’t send all at once due to size restrictions, it is the worst!
Aside from having issues with browsers and large file transfer, I am trying to stay positive this semester, I mean, the semester only really started I’m sure it can get a lot worse—maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud. Alright I’m off to knock on some wood and find my lucky rabbits foot, I’ll keep you updated as this semester progresses.
Monday, August 15, 2011
“Here’s a back-to-school product worth highlighting. Sharpie is introducing the Sharpie Gel Highlighter—a unique entrée into the world of highlighting that promises to last long, resist smearing, and never dry out, even if left uncapped.
The new Sharpie Gel Highlighters are perfect for use on all paper surfaces, including glossy and thin papers as well as magazines. They also resist smearing on pen, marker and ink-jet printouts. A simple twist of the bottom advances the gel stick for long-lasting use.
Perfect for highlighting, writing, doodling and even drawing, the Sharpie Gel Highlighter is available wherever office products are sold. Suggested retail price for a 2-pack is $4.40. They are also available in Sharpie 3 and 4 pack marker sets for $6.59 and $8.79. Color selection include orange, yellow, pink, blue, and green.”
Sharpie Gel Highlighter
*Unlike a regular highlighter, the Sharpie Gel Highlighter goes on the page
*The Gel technology allows for smooth use on all paper surfaces, including glossy and thin papers, as well as magazines.
*The new Gel Highlighter provides strong smear protection across pen and marker inks and ink jet printouts.
*A simple twist on the bottom advances the gel stick for long-lasting use.
*Sharpie Gel Highlighters won’t dry out even if you leave it uncapped!
Since I use highlighters religiously for school I was more than happy to try the new Sharpie Gel Highlighters out and let y’all know what I think! I’ve used a lot of highlighters since starting college a few years ago and so far this is definitely my favorite! I love that they are gel! The gel makes highlighting easier and so much quicker than traditional highlighters because there is no smearing and no waiting for ink to dry—love that! I also love the fact that they don’t dry out, with 4 kiddos in the house who love to get ahold of all of my writing utensils it doesn’t usually take very long for my highlighters to disappear and once I find them they are always dried out…it’s awesome to know that these won’t dry out—even if my kiddos forget to cap them!
Buy It!
Sharpie Gel Highlighters are available wherever office products are sold. Suggested retail price for a 2-pack is $4.40. They are also available in Sharpie 3 and 4 pack marker sets for $6.59 and $8.79. Color selection include orange, yellow, pink, blue, and green.
*I received the product mentioned above to facilitate my review, all opinions are my own!*
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Last night I did what I have been dreading for weeks now…I scheduled my fall 2011 classes at NKU. I assume that you probably want to know why I put off scheduling for so long, well, it’s stressful! Now that I’m getting down to the nitty gritty there are only a handful of classes that I need to graduate and finding them in an online format is not easy peasy hence my procrastination. There is of course another reason that I put it off for so long, this fall I will be one of three members of my household enrolled in college, and to be honest I wasn’t positive until tonight that I could pick up my husbands slack (you guess it, he’s going back to school too and still working full-time) and still maintain my grades. Finally I decided that the best thing to do was just move forward, full steam ahead and hope and pray that I finish soon!
Of course, with three people enrolled in college (my brother-in-law is enrolled in another college at the moment as well) one computer (my laptop) is not cutting it,but I agreed to share my computer for the time being (something that I hope doesn’t last long…I don’t like sharing). With everyone needing to use the computer on a regular basis my small desk is just not working so I decided to shop around for a new laptop stand or desk that will accommodate all of us…hey if I can’t get a new laptop I’m getting something new out of this, it’s only fair!
The first thing I looked at were laptop stands, they are perfect for me as they’re convenient and portable, but I quickly realized that they may not be the best option for my husband and brother-in-law. Next I looked at a beautiful double pedestal roll top desk that I instantly fell in love with, of course, my husband pointed out almost immediately that it did not match the “our style”, that’s funny I didn’t even know we had a style. I took my husbands comment to mean that he didn’t love the desk as much as I did so I was on the lookout for something that I loved, but that matched the “style” that I didn’t know we had. And then I found it, the desk of my dreams, the desk that matched our style to perfection, a secretary desk that is beautiful, classic, and perfect!
I may be sharing my laptop this fall, hopefully not for long, but at least I can do it sitting at an amazing desk…it’s all about give and take!
Of course, with three people enrolled in college (my brother-in-law is enrolled in another college at the moment as well) one computer (my laptop) is not cutting it,but I agreed to share my computer for the time being (something that I hope doesn’t last long…I don’t like sharing). With everyone needing to use the computer on a regular basis my small desk is just not working so I decided to shop around for a new laptop stand or desk that will accommodate all of us…hey if I can’t get a new laptop I’m getting something new out of this, it’s only fair!
The first thing I looked at were laptop stands, they are perfect for me as they’re convenient and portable, but I quickly realized that they may not be the best option for my husband and brother-in-law. Next I looked at a beautiful double pedestal roll top desk that I instantly fell in love with, of course, my husband pointed out almost immediately that it did not match the “our style”, that’s funny I didn’t even know we had a style. I took my husbands comment to mean that he didn’t love the desk as much as I did so I was on the lookout for something that I loved, but that matched the “style” that I didn’t know we had. And then I found it, the desk of my dreams, the desk that matched our style to perfection, a secretary desk that is beautiful, classic, and perfect!
I may be sharing my laptop this fall, hopefully not for long, but at least I can do it sitting at an amazing desk…it’s all about give and take!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
How can it be that yet another semester of college is coming to an end? It seemed like this past semester just flew by at warp speed, twirled my around, caused me lots of sleepless nights, and then left me with a feeling of failure that I have yet to experience while attending college. I’m not sure if it was me starting Crash Test, or our move, or just life that got me off track this semester, but I am perfectly sure that this will go down as my worst semester to date!
I seemed to completely lose interest in my education this semester and as a result I missed tests, forgot to turn in assignments, and just pretty much decided to be a slacker…and now with the end of the semester SO close I’m kicking myself in the butt for letting it get this far. Tonight as I was finishing up my homework (that is due tomorrow by the way…can you say major procrastinator?) I decided to check my grades, and then I saw them and wanted to throw my computer out the window. Of course, I can’t really blame anyone but myself, I mean I am the one who decided that I could handle 5 classes, 4 kids, a 3 bedroom house to clean (by myself), 2 grown men living in that 3 bedroom house (oh don’t get all weird on me…I already told you we don’t go for the brother husbands thing lol) who seem to make more messes than my 4 legitimate children, and 1, nope scratch that, 2 blogs to keep up with…yeah frickin right. I’ve come to realize, the hard way I might add as I seem to have no desire to ever learn things the easy way, that I cannot do it all, I am not Super Woman (or Wonder Woman rather) and that I do need help…LOTS of help!
So I’ve decided to take the summer semester off from college, focus on my kids, and build my blogs and then go full force in the fall to get my classes finished and ace them all…and hopefully be that much closer to graduation…have I ever mentioned that a certain college algebra class is all that stands between me and my associates degree? Yes, well that my lovelies is the truth…I transferred schools needing only college algebra to get my associates degree…and the thought of that class makes me nauseous so I decided hell I might as well just switch schools and focus on my major…well, I did that and now I still have to take that God awful algebra class…how does algebra have anything to do with communication?
So in closing, and I promise I did have a point when I started writing this, though now that point escapes me, I am tired…and stressed…and majorly pissed about the way I handled this semester. So please take it from me, if you’re in school and you’re just over it, don’t give up, keep pushing yourself to do better and go further and before you know it you WILL graduate. It’s such a shame that I cannot seem to take my own advice…for whatever reason I rather like making life difficult for myself…yep definitely that…after all I did birth 4 children…it doesn’t get much more difficult than that!
I seemed to completely lose interest in my education this semester and as a result I missed tests, forgot to turn in assignments, and just pretty much decided to be a slacker…and now with the end of the semester SO close I’m kicking myself in the butt for letting it get this far. Tonight as I was finishing up my homework (that is due tomorrow by the way…can you say major procrastinator?) I decided to check my grades, and then I saw them and wanted to throw my computer out the window. Of course, I can’t really blame anyone but myself, I mean I am the one who decided that I could handle 5 classes, 4 kids, a 3 bedroom house to clean (by myself), 2 grown men living in that 3 bedroom house (oh don’t get all weird on me…I already told you we don’t go for the brother husbands thing lol) who seem to make more messes than my 4 legitimate children, and 1, nope scratch that, 2 blogs to keep up with…yeah frickin right. I’ve come to realize, the hard way I might add as I seem to have no desire to ever learn things the easy way, that I cannot do it all, I am not Super Woman (or Wonder Woman rather) and that I do need help…LOTS of help!
So I’ve decided to take the summer semester off from college, focus on my kids, and build my blogs and then go full force in the fall to get my classes finished and ace them all…and hopefully be that much closer to graduation…have I ever mentioned that a certain college algebra class is all that stands between me and my associates degree? Yes, well that my lovelies is the truth…I transferred schools needing only college algebra to get my associates degree…and the thought of that class makes me nauseous so I decided hell I might as well just switch schools and focus on my major…well, I did that and now I still have to take that God awful algebra class…how does algebra have anything to do with communication?
So in closing, and I promise I did have a point when I started writing this, though now that point escapes me, I am tired…and stressed…and majorly pissed about the way I handled this semester. So please take it from me, if you’re in school and you’re just over it, don’t give up, keep pushing yourself to do better and go further and before you know it you WILL graduate. It’s such a shame that I cannot seem to take my own advice…for whatever reason I rather like making life difficult for myself…yep definitely that…after all I did birth 4 children…it doesn’t get much more difficult than that!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Monday started yet another semester of college for me and while I am excited to be that much closer to graduation I am not at all happy about how stressful this semester will be or how much it will cost.
I've been a college student for a while now and though I know that each new semester will bring a tuition bill that makes me ill, it never ceases to amaze me how much it all costs. Never mind the insane tuition, or the fact that my university offers the Communications degree I am working toward completely online (which is amazing, but also a pain in the ass) what really upsets me is that my classes cost almost two times more per credit hour than the same classes taught on campus...it's crazy.
What's even more insane than the tuition bill is the price of our text books...complete insanity! Last semester my books for four classes were nearly $400 (all new) and that was cheap. This semester the books for my 4 classes are almost $600 at the campus bookstore so I decided to do some comparison shopping and found some great places to find cheap college text books and wanted to share them with all of you!
Instead of just telling you how much money you can save I decided to also show you. First you’ll see my book list and the prices from my campus bookstore and then I’ve included a list of 3 great places to check out if you’re looking for textbooks this semester (or maybe know someone who is) and how much money can be saved at each.
Amazon.com
I had never ordered text books from Amazon until this semester and when I saw the price of my books I decided to give them a try. Amazon had ALL of the books I needed for my classes this semester, all of them where in-stock and ALL of them were cheaper (both new and used) than my campus bookstore!
Total of 4 books on Amazon: $344.65 (price reflects all 4 books in new conditions including standard shipping)
Savings of over $112 compared to my campus bookstore
BarnesandNobel.com
I like Barnes&Nobel for much the same reason I like Amazon; they have a great selection (all of my text books were in-stock (new and used) and I really love that you can rent textbooks from BarnesandNoble.com, something I did not realize until I went in search of cheaper textbooks this semester. I also like that Barnes & Nobel (at least the online version, I’m not sure about in store) also offers NookStudy eTextbooks from Barnes & Noble are read with the NOOKstudy eReader for your PC and Mac. Like Amazon shipping can be costly unless all textbooks ship from the same retailer…something to keep in mind.
Total of 4 books on B&N.com: $333.30 (price reflects all 4 books in new conditions including standard shipping)
Savings of over $124 compared to my campus bookstore
BookRentalSource.com
I just learned about this place earlier today (thanks Tiff)and it’s the best priced rental option that I’ve seen so far. Book Rental Source offer students the option of renting their textbooks (and trust me when I say this saves a TON of money). What’s unique about Book Rental Source though is that they offer varying rental periods depending upon your needs (from 30 days up to 145 days) they also sell used books. BookRentalSource.com has a huge selection of over 5 million textbooks and you can write and highlight in all of them…which is a huge plus for college students!
While I cannot compare the prices of new books at Book Rental Source (since they do not sell them new) I can tell you how much a 125 day (entire semester) rental costs…and even I was surprised by how little it was!
Total 125 day rental cost for 4 books (including standard shipping) $165.43
Savings of over $292 compared to my campus bookstore
So this semester (or next, or even the next) before you shell out hundreds of dollars at the campus bookstore, make sure you check out some of the online suggestions above…you’ll save a ton of money!
I've been a college student for a while now and though I know that each new semester will bring a tuition bill that makes me ill, it never ceases to amaze me how much it all costs. Never mind the insane tuition, or the fact that my university offers the Communications degree I am working toward completely online (which is amazing, but also a pain in the ass) what really upsets me is that my classes cost almost two times more per credit hour than the same classes taught on campus...it's crazy.
What's even more insane than the tuition bill is the price of our text books...complete insanity! Last semester my books for four classes were nearly $400 (all new) and that was cheap. This semester the books for my 4 classes are almost $600 at the campus bookstore so I decided to do some comparison shopping and found some great places to find cheap college text books and wanted to share them with all of you!
Instead of just telling you how much money you can save I decided to also show you. First you’ll see my book list and the prices from my campus bookstore and then I’ve included a list of 3 great places to check out if you’re looking for textbooks this semester (or maybe know someone who is) and how much money can be saved at each.
My Book List
Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes
Intercultural Communication in Contexts
Introducing Communication Theory
Persuasion: Social Influence & Compliance Gaining
Campus Bookstores:
Total for all 4 books: $457.45 (prices reflect all 4 books in new condition with shipping NOT included)
I had never ordered text books from Amazon until this semester and when I saw the price of my books I decided to give them a try. Amazon had ALL of the books I needed for my classes this semester, all of them where in-stock and ALL of them were cheaper (both new and used) than my campus bookstore!
Total of 4 books on Amazon: $344.65 (price reflects all 4 books in new conditions including standard shipping)
Savings of over $112 compared to my campus bookstore
BarnesandNobel.com
I like Barnes&Nobel for much the same reason I like Amazon; they have a great selection (all of my text books were in-stock (new and used) and I really love that you can rent textbooks from BarnesandNoble.com, something I did not realize until I went in search of cheaper textbooks this semester. I also like that Barnes & Nobel (at least the online version, I’m not sure about in store) also offers NookStudy eTextbooks from Barnes & Noble are read with the NOOKstudy eReader for your PC and Mac. Like Amazon shipping can be costly unless all textbooks ship from the same retailer…something to keep in mind.
Total of 4 books on B&N.com: $333.30 (price reflects all 4 books in new conditions including standard shipping)
Savings of over $124 compared to my campus bookstore
BookRentalSource.com
I just learned about this place earlier today (thanks Tiff)and it’s the best priced rental option that I’ve seen so far. Book Rental Source offer students the option of renting their textbooks (and trust me when I say this saves a TON of money). What’s unique about Book Rental Source though is that they offer varying rental periods depending upon your needs (from 30 days up to 145 days) they also sell used books. BookRentalSource.com has a huge selection of over 5 million textbooks and you can write and highlight in all of them…which is a huge plus for college students!
While I cannot compare the prices of new books at Book Rental Source (since they do not sell them new) I can tell you how much a 125 day (entire semester) rental costs…and even I was surprised by how little it was!
Total 125 day rental cost for 4 books (including standard shipping) $165.43
Savings of over $292 compared to my campus bookstore
So this semester (or next, or even the next) before you shell out hundreds of dollars at the campus bookstore, make sure you check out some of the online suggestions above…you’ll save a ton of money!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
August is always a hectic month for me; it begins with a bang as Lil Man’s birthday rolls around just as the month is beginning (pictures from his party will be coming soon) and ends with both myself and my girlies going back to school! I don’t talk too much about my life as a college student, mostly because it’s just another crazy, hectic, stressful part of my life, but I have decided that talking about me being in school while raising 4 kids (5 if you count my husband) might be a good thing! 
I have been a college student for a while now at my local community college, but I decided last month to finally take the leap and enroll in an actual university! While my grades have been pretty good through college with my GPA staying consistently around a 3.4 (which is a miracle in itself) it has taken forever to finish so I am leaving my community college 3 credit hours shy of an AA degree (LONG story behind why I am not staying to complete it). It makes me feel like somewhat of a failure for not staying it out until my degree is completed, but I know that transferring is the right thing for me to do.
So this fall I will be a student at Northern Kentucky University (NKU for short) and I couldn’t be happier. I will be pursuing a Bachelors degree in Communications Studies and I will be completing my courses online (major lifesaver for this mom of 4). I am very anxious for classes to start, but also terrified that I will not be able to keep up. The past two semesters at my previous school were tough to say the least, trying to find the right balance between being able to be there for my kids like I need to and finding time to study is not easy and it proved to be quite the challenge. I can only hope that a fresh start at a new school will provide me with the kick start I need to get the ball rolling and work my way (quickly work my way) to a degree.
I hope that y’all will stick around to read about the ins and outs of trying to balance being a mommy, wife, student, and blogger! I can’t promise much—but I promise it will be entertaining!
I have been a college student for a while now at my local community college, but I decided last month to finally take the leap and enroll in an actual university! While my grades have been pretty good through college with my GPA staying consistently around a 3.4 (which is a miracle in itself) it has taken forever to finish so I am leaving my community college 3 credit hours shy of an AA degree (LONG story behind why I am not staying to complete it). It makes me feel like somewhat of a failure for not staying it out until my degree is completed, but I know that transferring is the right thing for me to do.
So this fall I will be a student at Northern Kentucky University (NKU for short) and I couldn’t be happier. I will be pursuing a Bachelors degree in Communications Studies and I will be completing my courses online (major lifesaver for this mom of 4). I am very anxious for classes to start, but also terrified that I will not be able to keep up. The past two semesters at my previous school were tough to say the least, trying to find the right balance between being able to be there for my kids like I need to and finding time to study is not easy and it proved to be quite the challenge. I can only hope that a fresh start at a new school will provide me with the kick start I need to get the ball rolling and work my way (quickly work my way) to a degree.
I hope that y’all will stick around to read about the ins and outs of trying to balance being a mommy, wife, student, and blogger! I can’t promise much—but I promise it will be entertaining!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
Popular Posts
-
**Updated with winner at the bottom of the post** Thanks to all who entered! Anyone who sits at a computer most of the day typing can tell y...
-
*Updated at bottom with winner* Thanks to everyone who entered! Every year around this time I notice a huge difference in my skin, it ...
-
Hey y’all! I promised you more great finds for summer when I got finished with this semester of school and I’m officially finished (thank g...
