Financing College

If you’re not getting ready for college this year, you’ll be gearing up for it in the next few years. Most of the teens we talk to are worried about how to pay for college.

Either way, make sure to sort through all of your options before deciding you don’t have enough money to pay for college. There are many resources out there to guide you through the process. Start by asking your high school guidance counselor or even a librarian to help you research different options. Don’t be shy about it. You could even contact the college you’re considering. 

We found a great article that shares how to find cheap student loans, and we hope it helps! If you want to hear more from teens who are deciding how to pay for college, check out these videos.

Striking a Balance

After reading a quick blog, I discovered someone who managed 37 A’s and 3 B’s in college. He claims that he would have been much happier if he would’ve appreciated the college life more than working himself to the bone.

Though school is a major part of life, there’s more to it than meets the eye. You need to be able to use your knowledge in different environments. You can learn anything, but everything depends on how you use it!

Don’t overload yourselves. Take on what makes you happy while also fulfilling your responsibilities! It might be hard to strike a balance at first, but it will become like second nature before you know it.

Live Life with a Purpose.

Life can throw anything at you that might make life easier or more difficult than it already is. Being prepared emotionally and physically can make a big differnce in how you handle these types of obstacles. Prepare yourself by bringing more purpose into your life.

I like to complete an everyday “To Do List”. The list could be for a week’s worth of projects or enough simply for a day. At the end of each day, whether you had a horrible day or a good day, you’ll be able to reflect upon how productive you were that day. You may not get everything done, but there’s always tomorrow and the rest of your life to keep working at it.

Do not let any day pass you by. There is always a way to make life easier on yourself, improving your time management for example. You always want to have more free time with your friends, right? Well create your own list and start living life to the fullest and with a purpose. Every day should be an adventure met with a smile. Never regret anything you do, and make tomorrow a better day by being productive.

College Survival Tips: Freshman Year

Hi Dreamers!

It’s been too long since I’ve taken time to write a post. I’ve been really busy submerging into college life at full speed. I’m hoping that once things slow down a bit, I will be able to update you all more frequently.

So here’s what’s been going on:
I moved into the dorms at Webster University less than a month ago. Let me tell you, move-in day is crazy. Make sure you buy everything you need beforehand because the time you thought you would have to do it disappears fast! It was nice because the students leading our orientation moved in all of my stuff and I didn’t have to lift a finger! How cool is that? Then, my roommate and I spent a good chunk of time finishing our room and getting ready for classes the following Monday. Read more

Juggling School and Work

I’m finishing my last year at Texas Tech University. I’m thinking… my last year? Where did the last three years go? I learned and matured a lot during those times. Considering how things have turned out for me, I wouldn’t ever go back and change a thing. I have enjoyed life and am grateful for everything that has made me the mature person I am today, good or bad.

A lot of young girls go through similar stages that help them arrive at a mature point in life. But how do you know when you’ve made it? I asked myself the same question. I am taking 17 hours this semester and still working at least 33 hours a week. I just moved back to Texas to finish my last year, and let me tell you, it’s going to be a challenge! As long as we women set goals, however, we will reach them. Read more

Do You Glow?

The last few days have been very exciting for me. I was in Dallas, Texas for the annual eWomen Network conference. I met the most incredible women and heard the most amazing stories. There is so much that I learned that I want to share with all of you! I hope to share these ideas and tips in various blog posts over the next month. One exciting projec that Sandra Yancey the founder has started is the Glow Project. Yes, it’s geared for women, but the reason I’m sharing this with all of you is because these are women we can all look up to! They have overcome some of the most difficult circumstances and still continue to glow. You can read more at www.glowproject.org. Do you know anyone who just glows? What makes her so special?

Do You Believe in Your Dream?

Have you ever done something that everyone else thought was impossible? Maybe you aced a test, ran a super fast mile, or accomplished some new goal. I was reading this article about Dara Torres, an Olympic athlete who we can all learn from!

Dara just broke her own record and is headed for the Olympics. The most interesting detail is that she is twice the age of most of her peers at 41, and the mother of a toddler. When asked how she did it, she said, that the water doesn’t know how old she is and she “just believed”. This is the lesson that is great for us to remember. The next time we’re faced with an impossible dream, goal, or opportunity, are we going to believe? Will we believe we can do it?

Can you share your story of believing in yourself?

Summer Challenge!

I’ve realized that I haven’t written anything in quite some time. Now that my school commitments have come to a close, its time to do some serious writing.

I wanted to tell you all about my upcoming plans for my first year in college. I’m really excited about it because I’ve realized that the best thing to do is GET INVOLVED. Its only June, but I’ve already gotten involved with my school. That’s gotta be good, right? So here’s what happened: I had registration day. Although you might think it would be extremely chaotic and stressful, it really wasn’t. I listened to a few presentations, then decided on my first set of classes in college EVER! I met a woman who was carrying around my file, and she said I’d be perfect for a leadership “intro to college” program that they call “Pathways.” Basically, it is a group of 16 freshman that live in the same dorm on the same hall and take 3 classes together to get to know each other. The courses are Critical Thinking, University 101, and a freshman seminar. I’ve also been working on finding a job around campus and getting ready to do my work study program.

One of the classes that sounds particularly intriguing, is “Deal or No Deal”. Although, this class is not like the TV show, it’s the ultimate challenge. The course has no topic whatsoever. The students make a proposal and then decide as a class what we want to accomplish during the semester. So, as I work on MY proposal for this class, I want to challenge all of you as well.

Here’s the challenge:
What can you do to make yourself a leader at your school or community? There are so many possibilities. Be creative, spontaneous, and have fun! Get yourself out there and make your voice heard. Girls, this is our time to shine and no one can keep you from achieving your highest potential. We all have something to offer this world, so lets get out there and share it!

Get involved. Make new friends. Show ’em what you’ve got!

Do me a wonderful favor, comment below and let me know what you’re doing! I’ll keep you updated on what’s going on with me too!

Also, make a summer goal for how much you want to accomplish in these few short months. Pick something risky and fun. You won’t regret it, I promise!

The Billionaire Girls Club Part 1

I have a secret to share! I’m a member of the Billionaire Girls Club and I think you might want to start your own! I just got back from an amazing weekend with the other members of my group: Ingrid, Nicole, Sarah, and Traci. All of us are CEOs of our own company, and trying to make a big impact in the world. We came together about a year ago as a ‘mastermind’ group to support each other in our own businesses. We wanted to encourage each other to think bigger, dream bigger, and make a bigger impact in the world.

I’m going to continue sharing insights from our meetings and group that might apply to your lives as teens. Here’s the first big tip: Find a group of 5 girls that you totally trust and who are thinking big like you. This doesn’t mean you all have to have the same goals. You just need to be positive and supportive of each other. Figure out how often you are going to meet and what ways you can support each other. For example, my Billionaire Girls Club has members from all over the US, so we talk on the phone once a month and had our first face-to-face meeting this weekend.

I would love to hear about your girls club and what you’re learning! Watch for more stuff I’m learning along the way.

If you want to read more about the girls in my group you can read their websites here:

Ingrid: www.ingridvanderveldt.com

Nicole: www.shiftthegame.com

Sarah: www.sweetriot.com

Traci: www.worldblu.com

Getting Ready for College

Whether you are a senior getting ready for college in the fall or a soon to be freshman in highschool, it’s never too early to think about college. I’ve heard of some parents taking their middle schoolers to college campuses to visit so they can start to get a feel for different schools. One of the most important parts of getting ready for college is the campus visit. If you’re going to start at college next year hopefully you’ve already visited. If not, maybe you can go this summer or get online and see other ways you can get involved and get information prior to your arrival. If you’re starting to look at colleges, check out the school website and look for visitor information. Many colleges have special weekends for prospective students. There’s nothing more important than a visit. Books and online information can give you alot, but you won’t be able to truly assess the overall feel of the school until you set foot on campus, talk to students, to to a few classes, and get a sense for the community.

Do you have any tips about your visit to college? We’d love to hear them!

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