Scholarships: Do They Still Exist in College?!

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Scholarships were abundantly pouring down upon us when we were seniors in high school, and then seemed to disappear once we got in college.  Are there scholarships available for college students, or are scholarships something you only apply for while in high school? 

Although not as well known or broadcasted as high school scholarships, thousands of college scholarships go unclaimed each year because no one takes the time to apply for them, thinking that the competition is too high or that there just aren’t any out there!

The trick to applying for scholarships starts from knowing your strengths and finding ones that cater to those strengths.  Half of the process of applying for scholarships is searching for them.  Be patient!  There are many websites online designed specifically to help you personally find scholarships, even matching them to what you are involved in, what your major is in school, and whether you should apply for a merit scholarship depending on your GPA.

There are scholarships out there for everyone; it just takes some time to find them!  There are several on-campus resources that aid in finding scholarships, starting at the Chico State Financial Aid and Scholarship Office.  Chico State offers several scholarships that one can apply for online, and the application opens online October 17 and is due by December 15.  The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office website also has a link under the tab of  Scholarships>CSU, Chico Scholarships to a list of external scholarships, which are scholarships offered outside of Chico State, as well as information of what to do when you receive an external scholarship. 

Many students don't qualify for other types of financial aid so they don't fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  A little known fact is that students who don't fill out a FAFSA application, will not be considered for need based scholarships.  This is huge if you are self-supporting or if your family isn't able to provide much help.  Fill out that FAFSA whether you believe you qualify or not, it will open up opportunities for many more scholarships.

Scholarships can go with financial aid, and the more you apply for the greater chance you will have in receiving an award.  Don’t miss out on extra money to help you get through college; use your time wisely and apply for scholarships this semester!

PALS Can Be Your Pals

As a peer advisor I can say that we aren’t just students who volunteer to help the Liberal Studies Advising Office, but people you can trust. Many people fear going to an advisor for help because they are embarrassed to ask stupid questions or sometimes too scared to talk about their personal experiences. 

I have had a couple of liberal study majors tell me they prefer to talk to us, the peer advisor, when it comes to their school work or feelings. Advisors are viewed as professional who can’t compare to a younger student. It feels good to know that you have certain students that only go to meet you. This sometimes turns into a friendship where only you and that person will understand. You have become someone dear and caring to them, someone they can trust when it comes to school problems or personal problems. 

It gives us as peer advisors a good feeling to know that you mean something to someone that you barely knew at one point. We want more students to come with this mentality. We want students to trust us in anything because we are all human and know what it feels like to stress out and be scared in many types of situations. We can be more than just peer advisors to students, but we can also be your friends. As peer advisors our role isn’t to just help students academically, but we are to help students in any way. We are a shoulder that you can lean on.  

Dorms Are the Answer

In our colleges today many students face depression or sadness due to the lack of meeting new people and not really having any friends. Yeah, we have other students in our classes that we talk to, but not really outside of class. Sometimes it’s nice to have friends outside of class, to be able to talk to and just hang out with. 

Many freshmen coming into universities face being alone and having no friends. This soon turns into a serious issue where students want to drop out, move back home, or change schools. I can speak with experience when I say things like this are an issue. I had a friend who hated coming to school because other than me she had no friends. She would talk to other students from classes but that was it, never really anything serious. So this lead her into depression and started to skip class and eventually dropped out because she felt lonely. I was wondered what could be a solution to a problem like this because I am positive that there are other students with the same problem. 

I believe that students should live on campus their freshmen year, only because this way they are able to meet new people and have some support later on down the road. This allows students to experience the college life on the right track. They can experience things with new friends and not feel alone. The new students have something to look forward to their first year and eventually make lifelong relationships with new people. 

My freshman year, I lived in the University Village and I can say it made a big difference in my first year as a student. I was matched up with six other roommates. Living with six other students gives you a sense of comfort and ease. Those roommates ended up being my first friends here in Chico State. You can see the results in the students when they are faced with a new experience and get to face it with six other people. I believe that living on campus is an amazing thing for first year students, so they can get their foot on the right track by not feeling lonely and able to break out and have fun their first year. 

If you are feeling lonely, remember there are lots of people here to support you.  Stop by the Liberal Studies office and talk with one of the PALS.  If you'd like to talk with someone professional, we have some wonderful counselors at Chico State and our PALS will even go with you the first time. Check out their website.

Finding Community in College

As the weeks fly by, and we fall into the routine of college life, it is important to pause for a moment and reflect on our time thus far at Chico State, specifically in regards to our involvement outside of the classroom.  Being involved in groups and activities is one of the most rewarding aspects of college, and allows you to create a community with people who enjoy similar things to you.  Finding community is essential to enjoying a healthy and full college career.  There is no secret to getting the perfect “college experience” besides making the most of every opportunity, and there is no one to tell us how to do this besides ourselves!   

Find your niche.  Explore where you fit in and expand upon that.  Build relationships and thrive within that community.  Search out people with similar interests and values and explore your potential and gifts.  Challenge yourself within the community you become a part of and take advantage of opportunities to build leadership skills.   

Try everything at least once, and give it some time before you come to a judgment about a certain group.  Oftentimes it takes more than one experience of being with a group of people to get a feel of the group dynamic and figure out if it is something you could be a part of.  Joining a community allows you to meet new people and expand your horizons of thinking that were originally based upon your past experiences.   

Don’t forget that joining groups also builds your resume, and being involved in college is something that employers look for!  The majority of learning and growth occurs outside of the classroom, so get plugged in to a community of people that will support you throughout your college career.

End of the Year Celebrations: Do or Don’t?

Class of 2012

DO celebrate this outstanding achievement! Some of us are due to graduate in about a week, and some of us have successfully completed yet another great semester here at Chico State; what’s not to celebrate, right? However, DON’T celebrate in a manner that can be seen as inappropriate or looked down upon.  This time of year should be celebrated with family and friends in a safe environment with respect to the code of conduct that our school is implementing during graduation ceremonies. Lets all make the best efforts to create the best memories we WONT forget with the friends we can’t forget!

During this time of year, we should also be mindful of the reputation that we are placing on our school. Liberal Studies majors make up a larger population of the campus; therefore we act as the face of our campus.  With such an important role, it is our job to stay responsible not only during this time, but also year-round. Participating in organized bar crawls that reflect our program can have a negative impact on both the major and yourself as a student and as an educator.  Partaking in such activities can jeopardize both your current and future job, so lets all keep in mind that TODAY DECIDES TOMORROW.

Congratulations to the entire graduating class! For the rest of ya’ll, we’ll be in their shoes in no time! Until then, make the best of your college career. 

CRUNCH TIME - DEAD WEEK - FINALS WEEK

It’s the week before dead week and I am feeling nowhere near dead. I’m sure we are all very aware that our so-called “Dead Week” is very much ALIVE! All of the sudden we have tons of presentations, papers, and projects that seemed to just spring out of nowhere, right? Now is the time to really step up our game and push ourselves until the very last word of our 10 page paper is written. But I’m sure it doesn't seem so easy when our roommates are hanging out with friends, or playing their music too loud. As a student, we need to find our study nook that we can always turn to if need be. If you cannot study in your own home here are a few places to consider:

·         Library (Now open from 7:30am-2am)

·         Cross Cultural Leadership Center- CCLC (MLIB 172)

·         EOP Study Lounge (right outside SSC 310)

·         Under a tree on campus (there is Wi-Fi everywhere on campus)

·         Study Lounge in the BMU (right next to Common Grounds Café)

·         Student Learning Center (SSC 340-great spot if you need a tutor)

·         Computer Lounge in Whitney (first floor)

·         Local Coffee Shops Downtown (Starbucks, Peets Coffee, Naked Lounge)

Now, if you were struggling over the material in any of your classes I would HIGHLY recommend talking to your professor during office hours! These are the loneliest times of the day for our teachers and they make themselves readily available for OUR benefit. (I even heard that some teachers will secretly give you extra credit if you make the time to visit them during their office hours!)

Often times we will come across professors who give us the option to possibly take the final and maybe get the A or B (with a lot of studying) or not take the final and stick with your B or C.  In this situation it is up to YOU as the student to make that important decision. Maybe if you don’t take that final it will allow you more time to study for a class that you were really struggling in? It’s ultimately up to you and your individual situation, so make smart choices and be sure to prioritize and manage your time wisely. 

Why am I taking...PHIL 102?

This is the first in a series of posts on, "Why am I taking...?"  written by your PALS.

Often times when you find yourself sitting in that 3-hour lecture once a week, you often wonder, “When am I EVER going to use this in my teaching?” In Philosophy 102 you will learn basic concepts of critical thinking and be able to identify and evaluate arguments. As a teacher the most important factor of teaching is assessment, this is where the students’ understanding will be reflected. During assessment it is important to ask for explanations and evidence.  If we are capable of evaluating a student’s argument, we can then distinguish whether or not the student understood the content that was taught.  In this class you will learn that there are various manners of creating a reasonable argument, and you will be presented with an abundance of these ways in this course.  Ultimately, you learn that there can be more than one direct answer.  This understanding is vital to future teachers because we will be teaching students who have very different thought processes and methods of explaining an idea.  I really enjoyed this class not only because I am more open to different types of responses, but also because my teacher (A. Mirvish) had a really awesome accent that I always looked forward to hearing!