my dad got laid off and im a college student taking night classes- are there any good ways to work from home that arent scams?

Hello There. I have recently acquired info on this discussion website....I am needing of assisted understanding on how to fill out scholarships and where to find certain websites for proper funding from school. I am a first generational student, and my family has already ran out of money for me to go to school...Woman by the name of Heidi sent me....If this is Jennifer Hernandez's I say to you hello! Along with an sos I really need assistance.

I'm failing my first class ever, and it's scary.. how could I go about asking about grade forgiveness? How does it even work?

Sorry if you answered this already, but do you have any tips for finding colleges to apply to? I have a long list of colleges in my area, but I don't really know which ones I should look into.

How to Pick a College to Attend

This is the ultimate question! I’ll be honest: I’ve been procrastinating on answering this question because I wasn’t sure if I’d have a good enough answer. I’m figuring this out all over again, now that I’m looking at law schools.

Since I’m still learning, I’m going to tell you what I know now and what I’m learning. Other people might have different ways of dong it, and there’s no One Right Way to choose a college, as far as I know. But when I was starting looking at colleges and colleges were looking at me, I needed to know mostly three things:

1. Who to talk to. Who is safe and has information I need.

Ideally these people are your teachers, your counselor, your family and friends, and the admissions offices at every single college you are even a little bit interested in. Seriously, I know it can be scary, but it’s their job to talk to you.

If your school has a college and career office, go there. I regret not going and talking to the folks in there at my school; I was scared, but they could’ve helped me. The Fair Opportunity Project, other non-profits, and even your state might have mentors who can help you along when you’re stuck. And I’m always here.

2. What order to do things in.

You have your list of colleges–that’s a great start! I’d start by organizing yourself based on what you know about these schools and what you learn as you go.

• Play around with the choosing-a-college sites like Cappex or the College Board.
• Get on those colleges websites and pretend like your scrolling through Instagram or browsing on Amazon. You’re shopping for a school you like, is all.
• Please feel free to copy this spreadsheet I made and edit it with whatever you want!

3. What to think about.

Here are some things to think about when you’re sorting colleges by ones you like and ones you don’t:

• Is this a good school for my major?
• Are there opportunities I like at this school?
• Is this a competitive school for me?
• Is this a school that meets my needs, spiritually or demographically?
• Is this school the right size I’m looking for?
• What’s the campus like? Where is it?
• How much might this school cost?

Academics

Do they have your major? If you haven’t decided what you want to study, do they have majors you’d be interested in? What classes do they require? What classes do they offer? Most schools offer most majors, but some of them specialize in one thing or another. Figuring out which school in your area is really good at the thing you’re interested in can help you prioritize, at least as far as academics go.

You’ll also want to understand how competitive the school is, overall and for your major. What does their average accepted applicant look like? What about their average applicant for your major? The school’s website, as well as sites like College Board, can help you figure this out. That said, I wouldn’t necessarily discourage you from applying to a competitive school. Research shows that students often “rise to the occasion” when they apply for schools “just out of their reach” if they get in. It can be good for you to attend a school where you’ll be challenged, which can happen at any school, but may be especially true at your “reach” schools.

Culture

• Public schools or private? And if they’re private schools, are you interested in schools with strong religious affiliations, or more secular vibes?
• Demographics. Early on, I didn’t realize how much a campus culture can change depending on who goes there and teaches there. For example, many Black students find that going to an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) or PBI (Predominantly Black Institution) is extraordinarily validating in a way that PWIs (Predominantly White Institution) are not. The same can be true of other MSIs (Minority-Serving Institutions), even if you are white. Here’s a good breakdown for more information. This isn’t to say that one type of school is better than the other, the experience is just different!
• Competitive or chill? Some of this you’ll find in the marketing of a school. I’ve gone to chill schools, I’ve gone to a competitive school. Sometimes the Competitive to Chill Scale correlates with the school or program’s acceptance rate, but each campus has its own unique culture that you can get a sense of when you do your research, go on tours, and talk to people.

Environment

This is closely related to culture, but environment is a little more about the place than the people. One of the big things I didn’t do but should’ve was to visit the schools. How you feel going to, and potentially living on, a campus every day can be very much influenced by the school’s environment.

• Big city, small town? Is the town part of the campus, or is the campus part of the town? When towns or cities are smaller and surround a college, these are called “college towns.” Life tends to be built around the needs of the campus, which is a huge perk, but beyond the reaches of the city, there might be…nothing, until you drive to the next town. On the other hand, being in a city that happens to have a university in it can be a perk, too, because there’s so much beyond the campus to do, and there are plenty of opportunities to leave campus and live and work someplace else, But if the campus is inside a big city, it might not feel much like a campus. Kinda depends on what you’re looking for.
• Big school or small school? Big schools tend to have lots of opportunities to do things like research, activities, clubs, a variety of classes, etc. Small schools tend to have smaller class sizes for more personalized attention and more of a community feeling.
• Residential or commuter? Often on a college website they’ll tell you whether most students live on campus or off-campus, but you can always ask an admissions counselor. Commuter schools may be more convenient for students who work or take care of family members, while residential campuses can be more of a traditional college environment. It’s not black and white, of course, but this is just something to keep in mind.

Cost

If you’re like many students, you probably can’t pay for school out of pocket, and you don’t have someone to pay for you (or they’re only willing to pay so much). Once you’ve taken a look at the schools and figured out which ones you like, you should think about cost.

• What is the cost of attendance? What kind of scholarships do they have? What’s the difference in tuition and fees between schools? If you plan to live on campus, how much would that cost? Every school has to have a financial aid calculator on its website that can help you figure this stuff out.
• If you’re like most students nowadays, you can’t just pay for college out of pocket without some kind of help. What kind of financial aid does the school offer to an applicant like you? When you look at their financial aid page, what scholarships are there? Who are they for? Do they give need-based aid, and do you fit their criteria for need? Do they give merit-based aid, and do you fit their criteria for merit? Usually you can’t guarantee you’re going to get scholarships, but it is prudent to think about opportunities.
• Does your state give aid if you go to certain schools?

THIS IS SO MUCH INFORMATION, I KNOW. If you are overwhelmed, that is totally and completely normal!!! I would encourage you to go back up to the top of this post, and take things step-by-step. And if you need any more help from me, I promise I won’t take so long to respond next time.

You can do this. I believe in you.

Sorry if you answered this already, but do you have any tips for finding colleges to apply to? I have a long list of colleges in my area, but I don't really know which ones I should look into.

hi! i was wondering if you have any tips to stay organized and stay on task? i’ve been doing a short online course this year and have really struggled to ACTUALLY bring myself to do the work, as assignments and lessons are not under any time constraints i just don’t do it. i also have adhd so get bored or distracted easily. do you have any tips for me?

This is really close to me because I also have ADHD. I have both inattentive and hyperactive type. *As a result, this academic tip guide will be a guide for people with ADHD and not neurotypical people, without disability. There is a difference.*

I am doing online as well this semester.

1. I create a schedule. If I do not create a schedule, I will be unproductive the entire day. So, what will help you is to do things in orderly fashion.

For example, at 12p - I will do this assignment/watch this lecture. You have to dictate what time you’re doing everything. Then, you also have to block out technology distractions while you are working. 

-> Even if you’ve gotten halfway through the day with no schedule, write down or block off times on your digital calendar for what you are going to do at each time. ADHD is easier to tackle if you break things down into smaller tasks.

*Pro tip that I almost forgot: before you do anything, wear your day clothes. Don’t wear pajamas. Actually getting dressed or even doing hair/makeup changes things.

2. Download the Forest app after you have created your schedule. I consistently recommend this because it works in increasing productivity. It allows you to set it for however long you’re doing this task, say 30 minutes.

-> Why?: It will block all apps on your phone for (insert time here) to plant a tree, and if you leave the app your “tree” will die. Eventually, the more sessions you do, the more points you will gain to plant different plants, and eventually plant real trees around the world.

3. Have a list (& a planner) as well. Not only is the schedule creating structure, but the list creates even more structure so you know what you need to get done for the day. It also helps you not fall victim to the classic symptom of forgetting. Each day, you should write down what you WANT to get done and create your own times to look at lecture and assignments. Have goals for the day.

For example: complete assignment 2.

If you do not have expectations with yourself before the day begins, your ADHD will kind of take over and do something else. I have structure to my day. I set a timer to wake up at the same time. I take my ADHD medicine 90 minutes before my final wake up time, and I do my morning routine once it kicks in. Having the same routine helps.

-> Focus on your goals. Don’t be super harsh about the times.

-> Don’t overwhelm with how many things on to do list. Again, break it up into small tasks. For example, one part being: Wash dishes or fold laundry. It makes it less overwhelming to your brain and gives you a choice of which task. Typical non ADHD people just tell you to prioritize tasks but that doesn’t work for us. Do it in a random order and it gets the job done.

4. TAKE BREAKS! The other side to this is making sure that you give yourself adequate breaks.

*For hyperfocus, wait til your hyperfocus has started to wear off. Use it to your advantage for peak productivity. It is no joke.*

-> The misconception is that some people with ADHD are lazy and as a result, some ADHDers won’t take breaks. You can take a break. Healthy, long breaks do more for you long term.

-> Have a timer set. For example, after a 45 minute session or an hour session, I will take a break to do another task that has nothing to do with studying, like laundry, eating a snack, or stretching. Then after that task is done, I will go back to studying.

5. Have a workspace. Only do work at this space. I do schoolwork at my living room table and it is perfect. I do not study in my room because that is my sanctuary for relaxation and rest, not productivity. Make an effort to make the workspace clean, with your supplies - laptop, notebooks, pens, etc - readily available.

-> Once I get to my workspace, everything for the morning is already done. I’ve done my morning routine, so all there is left to do is hydrate while I study.

6. Recognize if you have adequate energy to do the task. Sometimes, with ADHD you may neglect your needs. If you are not getting enough rest, here are some tips:

•Bed should be for rest only.

•Blackout curtains

•Lavender essential oil, I have a diffuser but you can also put it on your pillow

•Background noise: pick what you want, lo fi music, rain sounds, binaural beats, singing bowls

•If all else fails, ADHD is often comorbid with other illnesses, meaning you could have a form of depression causing insomnia for example. This should be considered if you are having long term issues and symptoms.

7. Don’t overdo it. We are not neurotypical. Executive dysfunction is real - meaning our brains actually shut down when it perceives a task to be mundane.

-> You do not have to fit everything into one schedule for the sake of being “productive”. Each day should be what you know you can do, and there are different days to tackle different goals.

-> When you feel like you cannot continue, which is literally a symptom of ADHD, sit still for a few minutes.

8. Have a “What I Did Today” List. Because of how ADHD actually makes us feel, we don’t realize how much work we have put in. ADHD actually can be explained easily, we have about 2 dopamine workers showing up to work while most people are at maximum capacity. We are working overtime to do our best, even on medicine. So, acknowledging what we did today is good and encouraging, or at least reflecting in a journal.

9. Play music. It’s recommended to play study music without words because with ADHD we will submerge ourselves into the playlist of nostalgic 90s R&B. I recommend lo fi hip hop on YouTube, video game instrumentals, classical music, or jazz instrumentals. Whatever gets you going just do it!

General ADHD tips:

•Rewrite lecture notes and type the lecture notes.

•Color code with bright colors and pretty drawings or calligraphy

•Instead of telling yourself “I need to take notes” which usually leads to procrastination say “Rewrite lecture notes and emphasize main points” … this is useful in your to do list but in everyday goals

•Generally try to get your assignments done ahead of time if there is structure to certain courses, if not, again, stick to the schedule. If you slip one day off your schedule then don’t beat yourself up. Breathe!!!

•Side effect of most ADHD meds is that you’re not hungry so buy easy things to eat like muscle milk or yogurt and granola or smoothies so you can sustain yourself

•Get a dry erase board to show what you need to do for the day and put it on the fridge with command strips

•To avoid forgetting things, put them at a table near the door where you leave your apartment/dorm/house.

•Don’t overthink the time it takes to get ready, often that’s why ADHDers are late. Better to be super early than late though - have a routine set so you know how long each task takes - for example “I know a shower takes me 15 mins, washing my face takes 60 seconds and a few more including sunscreen/moisturizer, etc…”

•In that same grain, set timers for going to the bathroom, showering, etc just in case you one day hyperfocus and push yourself too far

•Open the blinds!!!!

•Clean your room and tidy up your space. A cluttered space impacts your mental health in a really negative way. Your space reflects your mental state at times as well, so check in with yourself. Have a specific day where you know you’re going to clean, but ADHD sometimes gives us bursts of cleaning so take advantage of that as well.

•Anytime your water bottle empties refill it. Have your water bottle or mason jar next to your workspace, and drink 5-10 gulps. Seriously. ADHD depends a lot on hydration, especially if you are on medicine which naturally dehydrates you. If you do not stay hydrated, you’ll get that massive headache mid day and crash sooner. A lot of times, lack of productivity can be due to not drinking enough water.

•If you don’t take medication, then sometimes you may notice you love coffee, and that’s because it’s a stimulant. Too much of anything is not good, but balance it with water. If you’re going to use coffee to kinda “medicate” then do it close to when you’re going to be productive.

•Setting yourself up to do a task rather than envisioning the overwhelming act of doing the entire action. “Okay, lets just get up and get the first step down, such as opening the laptop or wetting the toothbrush.” Baby steps.

•Take advantage of accommodations! Your college more than likely has an Office of Disability Services. Also, email your professors…they’re actually just as stressed as you about classes being online.

•Remember that you’re already trying as hard as you can, so don’t listen to the narrative of “try harder”, “you’re *r word*”, “you’re cheating by using medication”, “just do it,” “it’s easy,” “what’s so hard about it?” or “you’re lazy”. Anyone telling you that, even yourself, is wrong. And DO NOT allow anyone to be ableist, even yourself.

•Validate yourself. Don’t let anyone to do the “I experience that too”/“I know what you mean”/“we ALL have trouble with this!” and they don’t have ADHD. No. It’s our experience, it’s valid, and unlike anything on the planet. If you’re reading this and you don’t have ADHD - no, you do not experience any of the things in my next bullet point.

•Don’t be hard on yourself if you stumble along the way getting this right. ADHD completely changes your executive functioning.

We see the task, but our brain blocks it.

We have something marked down as “important” but our brain tosses it out in the “trash”.

We watch an entire episode of a show, but our brain ignored the entire thing. Our brain picks and chooses what is stimulating, our brain changes our interests.

We have sensory overload, we have no dopamine, we have bursts of curiosity that cannot be contained (often inconvenient) and if interrupted, our brains cannot take it.

People often discount how many things ADHD actually changes because it’s widely misunderstood. I want to take the time to acknowledge that ADHD, formerly known as simply ADD, has different types: primarily inattentive, primarily hyperactive-impulsive, or combined which is what I have. So it’s not “hyper” and “relatable”. It is also not a buzzword to use to describe things. I must put stereotypes and misrepresentations of ADHD to rest.

It impacts us emotionally as well, which most people don’t know… such as rejection dysphoria — extreme sensitivity to being criticized to where our brains self destruct. Our brains don’t regulate emotions well.

ADHDers - do not fall victim to how everyone else operates and call yourself a failure. We have to work twice as hard and the results actually come out brilliant especially with our determination and imaginative ideas that are also seen in autistic individuals, honorable mention!

There’s good days and bad days. There’s literal changes in thinking that other people do not experience. We all collectively know wouldn’t be who we are without ADHD, but we all recognize the challenges. However, it makes me happy to see messages like this so that I can make a difference and hopefully help one person with ADHD, especially of color, at a time stop being so hard on themselves. 💗

So, my financial aid might get cancelled. I am planning on writing an appeal letter to get it back (I have incredibly bad eyesight and am using the disability services for it, plus I have learning disability). Everything is a mess. If the appeal isn't excepted and I lose everything (including loans) I will have no other way to pay for college. I can barely pay out of pocket. And If my parents were to find out they would kick me out. Any advice? How often are appeals accepted?

My financial aid has been taken away. What now?

I’m sorry this is happening to you. I wish I could tell you the likelihood of success of your appeal, but I think it depends on a lot of factors, namely your circumstances and the reason why your aid was taken away. I can say that I know by first-hand experience that appeals are real and they can really work, but again—it depends.

There are several reasons why aid can be taken away or reduced, some include:

• clerical errors
• conflicting financial aid policies
• taking less/more than a full-time schedule
• lower grades
• disciplinary reasons

I’m guessing you know why your aid was revoked, but if you don’t, call the financial aid office to find out! If you don’t know what you’re arguing about, you probably won’t get your money back. Whatever the case, here are things you can do:

1. Understand your rights and responsibilities

Usually when you apply for a scholarship or a loan, the application will have a statement telling you what you need to do to keep the money and for what reasons the amount could be reduced. You’ll want to be aware of these policies so that you can abide by them. If for some reason you have abided by these policies and your aid is still being taken away, you can use those policies to defend yourself.

You mentioned you’re afraid of your parents finding out. I’m so sorry you’re in this situation, and I’m going to do my best to give you guidance.

In the U.S., the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) makes it harder for parents to obtain your records once you’re in college, but if you’re filed as a dependent on your parents’ taxes, they can access your records. Normally, this means that if your parents are going to file a 1098-T tax form (which is provided by your college), the form shows how much you paid for college and includes the total scholarship amount you received. 

However, unless they have some other reason to request your financial aid information, your parents might not even see that you’ve lost that money until next year. I don’t know if that’s the best course of action for you, but it could at least buy you some time.

If you believe you’re in danger of being kicked out of your home, please seek resources from your college, your state, local charities, and your social circle. @yournewapartment​ has posts about this and about moving out in general. I’d encourage you to look through their index!

2. Write a compelling appeal letter

If your grades or credit hours are too low to qualify for your aid, explain what happened. Explain that you’re a student with disabilities who has great capacity to learn. You’ll want the financial aid office to be sympathetic and understand how difficult things have been. At the same time, we know how ableism often colors abled people’s perceptions of disabled people’s ability to succeed and persevere and whatnot. You will want to sound confident that if they give you this money, you’ll put it to good use. 

What steps are you taking to make sure your grades get better? Why is it necessary for you to be a part-time student? What does this financial aid mean for your education? What does it mean if you were to lose this aid?

You may want to say that you are in danger of being kicked out. I think it’s important, but I’m cautious to recommend this because of FERPA’s limited power. You may want to say how important your education is to your family. Most importantly, be honest and persuasive. Don’t doubt your potential or your struggle.

3. Meet with your financial aid counselor

Before or after you submit your appeal, call your financial aid office to speak with a real live human, and try to ensure that the person you’re speaking to has authority in these matters or can advocate on your behalf. Be polite, let them know you’re submitting an appeal and you just wanted to ask a few questions or touch base with them about it. This can help you get more information and give the counselors/administrators a reason to pay attention to you and sympathize with you on a more personal level.

4. Get new accommodations

A reduction in required credit hours is actually an accommodation you can get from your college’s office of disability services. This way, you could be taking less than full-time credits and still qualify for the same financial aid as a full-time student. If you need this accommodation, reach out to your accommodations coordinator and let them know what’s going on.

If your financial aid was revoked because of bad grades, you might also want to look at changing your accommodations. For example, if you didn’t want extra exam time because you thought you didn’t need it, maybe now you do need it. Each class is different from the next, and you’ll need different tools to cope. There’s absolutely no shame in that.

5. Look into other funding sources

Your university might have alternative funding sources, such as emergency loans or scholarships with more relaxed criteria. Scholarships.com has a good list of external scholarships, but you do have to go through the whole application process for each scholarship, which takes time. Private loans through a bank or financial service like Discover may also be a faster option, though I’d avoid loan companies like Sallie Mae. Private lenders will likely want a cosigner, although it doesn’t have to be a parent.  Also remember to only borrow as much as you truly need.

I hope that helps! I do the best I can to answer questions with limited information, so let me know if I’m missing anything here, or if you don’t understand something I’ve said. I really, truly want what’s best for you, and I’m rooting for you. If you want me to look over your appeal letter, feel free to email me at collegecoward@gmail.com.

Hey, so I graduated this past May and since then I've just been working 40 hours a week. I feel like I need to go to college to do something with my life but I feel like theres so much in my way and I havent done anything to even start and I dont have a clue what I'd want to do. I'm so unsure on how to do anything regarding financial aid or even applying to colleges. I'm also worried that it wouldn't work with my schedule for my job. I work 5 days with 2 off days and I'm on evenings so I feel like I wouldn't be able to balance work and school, but I would have to bc I'm my only financial support. Sorry for the dumping my problems, but any advice?

How To Do College 101

Congratulations on your graduation! Working a full-time job after graduation (during a freaking pandemic, no less) is no small feat either, and I applaud you for that, too. Once upon a time, I was like you: I didn’t know anything about college except that I wanted to go, and now I run a blog telling people how to go to college. College might be strange and unfamiliar now, but in time, you will learn how to do it! 

This might be my longest post, so strap in for a fun ride!! My answer comes to you in three parts:

• How To Do Community College
• How To Do University
• How To Do Financial Aid

P.S. I’m going to say this only once, but feel free to ask why: Do not attend a for-profit college. Okay, now onto the basics!

Keep reading

I sent my university my 8th grade transcript after I got in to get credit for having taken French. I just realized that there was an error in my favour on the copy I emailed them. I knew I’d be sending them official copies anyway and I was already in so I had no reason to fake it, but it looks like I altered my grades 😭 I sent them the copy I had on hand. Will I get my admission revoked for this? Should I email them?