The Rest of My Life Starts Tomorrow

     I am happy and nervous to say that tomorrow I begin graduate school.

     While it is only orietation, I can see the rest of my future right in front of my face! As I sit with friends and family to dicuss my future, it comes up time and time again-people scaring me into academic submission.

     What I mean by this is that I have found that when discussing my academic pursuits, many people have told me that I will be exhausted, overhwelmed and will not be able to maintain my social life. I understand that I am making a life long commitment to my education and it will truley change my life-partially because it will challenge who I am as a person both socially and academically.

      I am not sure why I have been told this SO often but what I can tell you is that I take it as a challenge.  I am more excited than worried/nervous and, for those who want to scare me, it hasn't worked. All I can say is that I know what I am getting into and know that it will be hard. I am doing this because it is my dream. I am also doing this because I need to take care of my family in the future. For that reason I feel that I do not have the option to fail. And without that option, I will not fail.

     This is the beginning of the rest of my life and it will probably take all the energy I have.

     I will write about orientation tomorrow.
    
     Until then....

    
    

The Helping Generation

     The name of this blog post comes directly from a trend that I have noticed more and more in the lives of close friends and contemporaries.

     As I begin to see graduate school directly in front of me, it is starting to dawn on me that I will be functioning as a student with a child to take care of. Instead of a child however, I will be worrying about, checking in on and financially supporting my mother. While the economy has hit many families hard, I have noticed a dramatic shift in the amount of responsibility my generation has taken on. While it was normal for my mother's generation and the generation before hers to take care of their parents, my generation is faced with the expectation to acquire post secondary degrees, support their parents and do it all by the age of thirty. Whether this is a sign of the times or just the economy, it is having a dramatic effect on the mind-frame of the U.S's current twenty-somethings. 

 
     More often than not, when I sit to have a conversation with friends, not a sentence goes by that isn't about the money we don't have and the help our parents desperately need. As a generation, we have been taught not to wait to have something handed to us; and for that I am grateful. However, this has also lead to a generation of young adults who are living with very intense- adult anxiety. What I mean by "adult" anxiety is; worrying about bills, their parents, keeping roofs over the heads of themselves and their parents and for some, worrying about taking care of their younger siblings. This not only creates stress socially and financially, it contributes to psychological and biological stress that makes focusing, working for long periods of time and multi-tasking impossible- all things required from post-secondary programs.

     So my question is: when I'm older and need help, how will society dictate how I need to be taken care of, and for that matter who will care for me?

     Are we the Helping Generation? 


   

Transitioning Intro Graduate School

     This week, more than ever, I find that I have been focusing on how drastically my life will change as soon as school begins. After meeting with my student liaison from The Wright Institute, I have been very focused on what the transition will be like as soon as I start school.

       Currently I am living a life that while not as intellectually (academically) stimulating as I would like, it's easy. I work a set shift, make enough money and am able to spend ample time with my partner, family and friends. My favorite upside to having all of this extra time is that I get to create- by cooking. While I am excited to be accomplishing my dream, I am anxious to see how drastically my life will change. I am not only anxious for myself, I am anxious for my relationships with friends and my partner.

      As mentioned before, I had a meeting with my mentor from The Wright Institute and I received the best advice about graduate school that was very much needed. The advise ran the gambit from how to maintain relationships to whether or not I could work throughout the school year. These pieces of information were so vital to me that I wanted to share them with anyone else working toward graduate school or working toward an end goal that will change their lives in any way.

     #1 Don't doubt your ability to accomplish your goal. If you've been accepted into a program it's because you are prepared enough to do it.
      #2 Treat your program (whether academic or not) like a job. From the way that you dress, the amount that you participate and how you interact with others, it is imperative that you maintain a high level of professionalism. This could land you a reference, job or internship later on.
      #3 Don't feel pressured to be everyone's friend. While understanding the social climate of your program is important, having friends and being a member of the social scene does not always need to be a priority. I am the first person to be overtly social and comfortable in group settings but it is important to not let petty social issues get in the way of your goals.
     #4 Beware of Burnout! This is by far one of the most important tips. Know your body and mind. Know when to say NO to extra work or optional reading.
     #5 Set specific days in which you won't do any work. If you're anything like me it's impossible to say no to an extra 30 or 40 mins revising a paper or studying for an exam. To both avoid burn out and maintain healthy relationships it's imperative that you are able to put down your work and walk away from it.
     #6 Understand what is expected of you. As simple as this may seem, it is very easy to get trapped with an assignment when you do not understand what is being asked of you. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Questions will help you understand what is being asked of you, what goals you need to reach, what resources to use to get there and can help create stronger relationships with co-workers, cohort members or professors.
     #7 Be open with your partner or friends about your work load. While friends and partners will come and go, your education is something that will be with you forever. For this reason, be honest about how much you have to do and when you are free to make plans. If you know you will be unavailable, tell people in advance and let them know when you will be free. This will keep you from unneeded social stress.
     #8 See this experience as an adventure! Yes this will be a lot of work and there will be stress involved but you are accomplishing your dream- remember that.

Scholarship Success

     I am so excited to report that I have been awarded 2,500 from Great Lakes Scholarship program. They are also excited to offer opportunities to pay for extra classes or extra curricular activities that I may want to do during my doctoral program.

    A huge contributing factor to why I was even able to find this scholarship, was the website I used during my scholarship search. There were two websites that I used that I thank for any and all of the scholarship success that I have had. I used Zinch.com as well as Cappex.com. Because scholarships are so competitive and so hard to come by in this economy, websites such as the two listed above are crucial in finding scholarships.
   
    Scholarship Tip #1
      Zinch.com has opportunities for students to make money even if they are unable to win scholarships.
Double Your Money- Zinch.com will match the scholarship that you are awarded if they are able to make sure that their website is where you found the scholarship. (I am currently waiting to hear if I qualify) 
Money For Scholarship Referrals- If you are able to find scholarships that Zinch.com does not list on their site, they will give you a small check for every scholarship they use.
It's websites such as these that make it possible for ever type of student to have the chance to find some financial assistance.

  Scholarship Tip #2
  All scholarship websites including the main two that I have used encourage the creation and upkeep of your profile. Profiles list who you are, what your academic history is like, what extra curricular activities you participate in, the programs you are looking for, and anything else you'd like to list. These are very important because they can help you find as many scholarships and contests as possible. The more detail the better!

  Don't Give Up!  Scholarships are everywhere. It is all about the time you put into scholarship applications.

 

Two Official Rejections

    Im writing to report that I have had two official rejections from scholarships. I was rejected from the SR Education Group's Women's Scholarship as well as another scholarship for a risk management company. Although getting rejected is never fun, the rejection from the risk management company honestly did not bother me or suprise me. I have applied to so many scholarships that I actually was not aware that I had even applied to this company.
    Although I was unaware of the second scholarship I got rejected from, I find myself being very disappointed that I was rejected from a scholarship for women. Many of the women who applied and who were finalist were in just as dire circumstances as myself but, it seems to me that there are certain circumstances that win out over others. What I mean by this is that, although my mom many be homeless and I am supporting her, that is not enough for me to need money in comparison to others. Many of the women who win are younger than me or are going back to school and have children. Because I could never imagine going to school full-time while having children, I applaud women who do. This just makes me ask: how many adverse events do I have to experience before I will be chosen for scholarships?
    I have any more scholarships to hear from and know that I will at least get one based on the amount that I have applied to. I hope that, although potentially discouraging, this message goes to women in dire circumstances and shows them that as long as they put effort toward their financial aid search, they will eventually find help somewhere.

Tips for Affording Life's Costs During Graduate School

     Although my blog usually discusses scholarships, how to qualify for them and where to find them, this post will instead be dedicated to living within one's means during graduate school. Unlike my female counterparts, I have never lived my life with the prime goal of acquiring material possessions. For that reason, I feel that I might a bit more equipped to deal with my severe budget change during my 5 years as a doctoral student. For those who were not raised knowing the importance of the dollar, those who have poor money managing skills, or those who simply need help knowing how to shop in an affordable manner, this post is for you.

Tips for Affording Life Costs During Graduate (and/or Undergraduate) School
1. MOST IMPORTANT! Know Your Local Resources -Whether it be a religious affiliation, community outreach service or free government program, there are many resources that are underused because people are not made aware that they qualify for them.  Ex. Food Banks, Healthy SF health Insurance, etc.Don't be afraid to use community resources for those who have a low income. Just because you are a graduate student, doesn't mean you always will know where your next meal is coming from.
2. BWOM (Bring Your Own Meal) - Whenever and wherever possible cook and bring your own meal to school, practicum or meetings. If you have one free day during the week that you can dedicate about an hour and half to packing lunches, you can cook all your meals then grab and go when you need them. This is cost effective and will contribute to an overall healthier lifestyle. This can also apply to purchasing coffee or any other snacks throughout the day.
3. Understand When and When NOT to Splurge - Personally I think this tip is crucial. Reducing impulse buying and buying reduced price will help you buy what you need and save money on buying what you want and do not necessarily need.
4. Know The Cheapest Grocery Outlets and Use Coupons(if possible) - Knowing which stores have sales and when they occur can reduce the amount of money spent on meals and will help you learn the lowest purchase price of must have products such as milk, bread, cheese, meat and vegetables. It also important to know if any of the gracery stores near you have reduced bins. These bins may include dented boxed cereal or bruised fruit and vegetables. I search for these bins in every store and go to these bins first when shopping. For example, in a reduced bin today I bought: 5 zuccini, 2 grapefruit, 3 apples, 3 pears, 3 bell peppers and 2 cans of black beans and only paid 6.95 for all of it.
5. Save, Save, Save - Although this is the hardest tip for me to follow, it's always important to save. Even if its small change or only a couple dollars a week saving ensures that in the face of crisis, someone who is living on loans or pay check to pay check can still make due with what they have.

    Above all, it is very important for doctoral students, and any student for that matter to remember that; while affording luxuries may be off the table, staying healthy through proper nutrition, a balanced diet and an adequate amount of sleep must be a priority. Saving what you can from time to time and knowing the value of a dollar will go a longer way than you may think.

160 Scholarships and Counting....
   
   

Don't Give Up the Scholarship Fight

     While more neurotic than most, I find that in the past year I have dedicated myself to talking advantage of any scholarship, sweepstakes or contest opportunities that are put in front of me. As stated in some of my previous entries, I began my scholarship search with the idea that slow and steady does indeed win the race. And with that belief I have been able to apply to almost 200 scholarships to date. As a member of multiple scholarship matching sites, I have created profiles and applied to the matches I have found as well as other scholarships that honestly, barely apply to me.
 

    I am happy to report that I am a finalist for 3 scholarships.I have been applying for these scholarships since May of last year and worried that I would never even hear back from any scholarship organizations. Although I have heard that I am a finalist for these scholarships, this in no way means that I have won any money. With reduced income and the looming cost of my education, winning these scholarships would contribute to a better quality of life. This entry, although short, is to say that for anyone who is applying to scholarships, the work will pay off in some way. Even if I am not awarded any money, I have gained from this a sense of accomplishment that I can not only stay dedicated to something but that it can also make my life better in many ways. Regardless of the results, I am proud of the work that I have done and it gives me faith that I can accomplish what I set my sites on in both my academically and in my career path.