United States Naval Academy

Hi Everyone.  Did you miss me at school today?  I spent most of the day traveling and have now arrived in Annapolis, Maryland - home of the United States Naval Academy.  I will be here through Friday.  I had forewarned you that I would probably not blog much if at all this week while I am gone and after receiving the agenda I can confirm that I won't be able to blog again until Friday.  (We start tomorrow at 6:30am and return to the hotel at 10pm!)  Yikes!  So, hopefully you will be patient with me while I learn as much as possible about the opportunities available at the Naval Academy and I promise to share updates with you once I am back in Ohio.

Tonight, I did have the chance to attend the first meeting which featured a presentation by Vice Admiral Carter who serves as the Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy.  He is a 1981 graduate of the USNA and has a VERY impressive military history prior to taking this position several years ago.  He graduated as a Flight Officer, then graduated from the Navy Fighter Weapons School, Top Gun, and then completed the Navy's Nuclear Power Program.  This resulted in him being a commander for many deployments and receiving an incredible number of awards.  He was an impressive speaker and all I could think as I listened to him was how inspiring he was and how unbelievably smart he is - an incredible leader of the college.

We haven't actually stepped foot on the base yet, but I am incredibly excited for the chance to learn and see more in the days to come and I really hope that I will get to see the Kilbourne grads who are now Midshipmen at the USNA.

Have a great week!

Sleep

Did you enjoy the extra hour of sleep?  I definitely did... while I don't love how early it gets dark outside, I always like being able to have the benefit of the extra hour of sleep on the night of the time change.  The reality is I know that I am not the only one who needs more sleep.  "I'm so tired!"  It is a statement that I hear over and over again each day.  Often, I share the exact same feeling and the reality is that sleep is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and yet it is also something we frequently push aside.

The research about the importance of teen's getting sleep has frequently been touted and yet, as I talk to you, it is shocking for me to realize how little sleep many of you are getting.  Lack of sleep is not only exhausting, but it decreases your immune system, makes it more difficult to regulate your emotions, and can mimic the signs of ADHD.  

I wish it was as easy as saying you need to go to bed earlier, but for many of you, your schedules are so packed with homework, studying, jobs, sports, clubs, and other activities that it is hard to make everything fit into the window of time that you have between the end of the school day and a "reasonable" bedtime.  Additionally, many students have talked about the fact that it is hard for them to go to sleep once they go to bed because their mind races, they think of "one more thing" they need to do, or they lose track of time while texting late into the night.  And, although it isn't easy, sleep is important!

I am NOT a morning person and, quite honestly, I don't think I ever have been.  When my sister and I were in high school my mom set 9:00pm as our bedtime.  Every now and then we would argue that we should be allowed to have a later bedtime like all of our other friends and she would agree and say, "No problem, as soon as you can wake up in the morning without me having to say anything to you to wake up, then you can stay up later."  (FYI, my mom is really smart!)  She knew there was no way in the world we could successfully wake up without extra help because we were tired and needed the sleep.  We couldn't argue with her because she wasn't having us go to sleep earlier as a punishment - she was trying to help us get the amount of sleep that we needed.  Later, when I was in college and was getting WAY too little sleep, I would call my mom stressed and upset and she, with all her perfect motherly wisdom, would simply say, "Stop what you are doing and go to sleep."  She knew that I was too tired to think straight and that I wasn't doing a good job with studying or homework or whatever else I might have been working on at the time because I was exhausted.

While I am certainly not your mom and in no way am I saying that 9:00pm is the right bedtime for you, I do think that you could benefit from getting more sleep.  So, at least for now, enjoy the bonus of the extra hour of sleep from last night and try to plan accordingly so that you can continue to get as much extra sleep as possible every night.

Demonstrating Interest

It is interesting to stop and think about all of the different factors that play into a college admission decision. When colleges are evaluating all of their applications, one of the aspects that may help set one student apart from another is the level of interest that they have demonstrated. The reason that demonstrating interest is important to a college is that they have a limited number of spots that they can offer for admission. They are trying to find a way to maximize the number of students who they accept that will actually attend their college in the future and they still want to find a way to get the most competitive, involved group of students that they can find.

So what are some of the ways that you can demonstrate your interest in a college?

Meeting with the college admissions reps when they come to WKHS is a great first step. I'll be honest, for this year, admissions officers visiting Kilbourne will soon be coming to an end, but for the last few colleges this year and for the younger students, this is something you should keep in mind for next fall. The reason that this is such a significant way to demonstrate your interest is because a lot of kids don’t take advantage of this opportunity so when you do take the time to come and meet with them, you will stand out.

Attend their community nights – many colleges will offer presentations at area hotels or community centers that students and parents can attend. You will learn most of these opportunities from the colleges themselves and we have been listing any of these upcoming nights that we hear about on the WKHS Counselors website. These events tend to be more common in the fall and spring months so you can always check our website and also the college's website for opportunities to meet with them.

Visit their campus! Visiting their school is probably the best way to demonstrate your interest in their college. College visits allow you to learn so much about a school and so it is one of the best ways to make sure that the school is a good fit for you and to show the college that you are interested in their school.

I know it isn't always feasible to visit every single school that you are interested in applying to so find other ways to familiarize yourself if you can't make it to their campus. Visit their website. Read the admissions blogs. Don’t be a pest, but if you have questions, seek the answers by contacting admissions representatives. (And, for the record, you should make those contacts rather than having one of your parents call on your behalf!)

Some schools will offer alumni interviews in the area and if the school you are considering is among them, it would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity as it, again, demonstrates the sincerity of your interest in their college.

Searching for Colleges

Since the Planning for College Information night a few weeks ago I have had a lot of conversations with juniors who are searching for colleges and have been out making visits at different schools.  It has created a lot of anxiety for some students as you try to figure out which colleges to consider.

When you start the college search – the answer lies in you! I know, that sounds a bit cheesy, but it is true. Before you really start looking for the “right” school it is important to figure out what you want in a school and that can only be found by looking in yourself and determining what factors are most important to you.

For example, for some students distance from home may be a big deal. Being close can have it’s advantages – like being able to come home and have a free home cooked meal or a place to do your laundry and also not having to worry about flying half way across the country any time you would want to come home for a visit. Going to school at a college far from home can also have it’s advantages – often a different climate, a new experience and adventure where you can be independent, and no concerns about mom or dad just dropping in unexpectedly. And, of course, there are some students who will elect to find a school that is not too far and not too close. (Remember, that by communicating with your family about what you are looking for in a school you may find that a college outside of your comfort zone is still worth looking at because you and your parents may be able to reach some mutually agreed upon ground rules – so the concern that they might come see you or you might come home too often can be eliminated by talking about those issues up front.)

The size of a school is another factor for many students. Small, Medium, Large or somewhere in between – the challenge is that many students will say, “I don’t know” and that is where making a variety of visits to different sized schools can be advantageous. You can explore a small school and see if the experience of knowing lots of people on campus and in your classes is better for you than a medium or large school where you may have a class in a lecture hall with hundreds of other students. As you visit the schools you may find that there are experiences or advantages that a larger school can provide that a smaller school can’t such as a wider variety of clubs or groups for students to be involved. The key is to figure out what size school fits you and then you can narrow your search to explore more schools in that range.

Other factors that often influence a student’s college decision will include the types of majors or programs offered at the school, their athletic programs – both collegiate sponsored and intramurals, the food, the dorms, the cost (but don’t necessarily eliminate potential colleges simply based upon cost because often the private schools are much more expensive, but also offer a much larger financial aid package to make it competitive and comparable to a public school), extra-curricular opportunities, and on and on.

Again, I cannot stress the point that everyone is different and what is best for one person is not necessarily the ideal school for someone else. All too often I listen to students who are only looking at the 2 or 3 schools that their best friend or sibling looked at rather than trying to find the school that fits best for them. Also, I truly believe that it is about being a good match – for both you and the college.

I know it can be a bit intimidating to search for a school and to try to figure out what you really want in a college and for your future, but it is also supposed to be fun so try not to put too much pressure on yourself to find “perfection” and try to take a step back and figure out what will make you happy. It really can be fun, but I know it is also overwhelming so remember that I am here to support and help you in any way that I can.

Ohio Means Jobs

The Ohio Means Jobs website features a student section to engage students in grades Kindergarten through 12^thgrade to start thinking about their careers.  

If you go to the Ohio Means Jobs website you can take a guided tour on the site.  I encourage you to create an account so that you can save your information and refer back to it in one place in the future.  For example, if you complete career interest inventories or other assessments, the information is all saved in your “backpack” on the site.  All of your information on the site is saved for you so if you started using the site when you were in elementary or middle school it will still be there for you to access and reference when you are in high school.

There are cool features on the site including the opportunity to create a budget including rent or house payment, grocery costs and utilities.  The site also helps you know if the job areas you have indicated that you are considering will be adequate enough to meet your budget.

The site allows you to find out which colleges in Ohio offer majors in your areas of interest.  So, for example, if you are interested in studying architecture, you can get a list of all of the colleges which offer architecture.

There are practice tests for ACT, SAT, Compass, ASVAB and AP tests along with areas to help with your current classes.

It is a fun site to get on and explore and can help spark areas that might interest you in your career exploration.

Please Plan Ahead

Can you believe it is November 1st?!?November tends to be a crazy month in the world of school counselors.  Some students have finished your early action/ early decision college applications and many of you are in the midst of applying and completing the components needed for your December 1st, December 15th or January 1st deadlines.  Add to the college application aspect of my job, the academic pressures for those students who struggled during 1st quarter and the ongoing personal issues that students have throughout the year, but which are often exacerbated heading into the holiday season and it is busy.  The bottom line is it's pretty hectic normally... but this year it is going to be even more crazy for me and I need you to be aware of that as well so that you can plan ahead for general things you might need.

I will be OUT of the building quite a bit this month for various meetings and opportunities.  I am really excited about these chances, but I hate that it means I won't be around in the way that I would prefer.  For example, I was selected to present at the All Ohio Counselor's Conference - a statewide conference for all counselors - this will have me out of the building on Thursday and Friday this week.  The following week I will be traveling to visit the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. This trip will allow me to learn more about the USNA and the nomination/ appointment process to all service academies, but it means I will be gone Tuesday through Friday (the 8th through the 11th).  During the trip to the Naval Academy, I will have very limited access to email and I will probably not be able to blog either.  The other days that I will be out of the building are much shorter.  For example, I will be out for a meeting at central office on Thursday the 17th and going on the field trip to the Delaware Area Career Center on Friday, the 18th.  

There will be a note on my door each day and if you have an emergency you can always see another counselor, but my hope is that for things like college applications and academic progress, you can try to aim to see me on the days when I will be around.  If you stop by and I am not available, don't forget - if you leave a pass for me I will find you.  And if you just have a question that you want to e-mail to me feel free to do that anytime and I will respond as soon as I can.  Thanks for understanding and being flexible.

Stay Informed

Happy Halloween!  I hope that you had a good holiday.

Did you know that you can receive these blog posts to your e-mail automatically?  Perhaps that is how you are viewing them already, but in case you aren't I thought it might help to know that you don't have to try to remember the lengthy website address for my blog.  (Sadly, I know that it is not an easy address to find but back in 2007 when I started the blog I didn't realize how much of a problem it would become.)

The way I have it set up is that the title of the blog post will be the subject line of the e-mail so you can always delete the post without reading it if you realize it is not applicable to you.  To sign up for the updates, scroll part way down the page on the right hand side to the area that says, "Follow By E-mail" (it is below the Blog Archive & Contributor sections).  Type in your e-mail address and click "Submit."  This will pop up another box with some funky random letters/ numbers to make sure that you are a real person and then you will click on "Complete Subscription Request."  After you do that you will have an email in your in-box that you need to click on the link to confirm that this is a list you want to join and follow.  You do have to follow all of those steps to make sure that the posts will come to you directly.

So, if you want to make sure you never miss out on a blog post, sign up for automatic updates.

The other key way that the counseling center is trying to keep you informed is through "Remind."  Through this service you can receive short text messages with important reminders.  If you would like to subscribe, send a text message to 81010 with the appropriate code below:
For the class of 2017, text @wkhs2017
For the class of 2018, text @wkhs2018
For the class of 2019, text @wkhs2019For the class of 2020, text @wkhs2020

You probably already know this, but this is NOT an actual phone number and the texts we send are from a website and not a cell phone so we can't receive phone calls or messages from you to the number which appears.  It is only for us to send messages.  It is free for you to sign up, but regular text messaging rates apply through your phone company.

It isn't necessarily hard work to keep up with all of the upcoming dates, deadlines and opportunities if you are staying organized, writing down key dates and maintaining your planner, but I want to make it as easy as possible so that you are never caught off guard.  By following my blog and receiving Remind texts plus following @wkhswolves on Twitter, I believe you won't have any difficulty staying informed.