November 21st, 2008
When you get that panic call from your student that they have dropped their lap top, stepped on their i-Phone or dropped their ipod in the toilet… You can avoid paying a big deductible or filing multiple claims on your homeowners insurance, by purchasing separate property coverage for your student’s electronic devices. For example, www.safeware.com offers $1,000 worth of coverage on a laptop, with no deductible, for about $70 a year, and $400 worth of coverage on a BlackBerry for about $65 a year, plus a $50 deductible.
Just a FYI, homeowners insurance may not apply if your student moves off campus. In that case, you can pick up a renters policy for $200 to $350 a year.
It is better to be safe than sorry! Some fore thought may save you some feelings of financial regret.
Posted in Web/Tech, Parenting | No Comments »
November 18th, 2008
FastWeb, announced the inaugural EducationXpo ( http://www.educationxpo.com). This 12-hour online forum brought the traditional college fair to the virtual world, allowing prospective college students and their parents to interact with colleges, universities and higher education experts from across the U.S.
How cool is this? In the comfort of your home, no travel involved you can gather important information for informed decision making!
EducationXpo, which was live on Thursday, November 6th at 10:00 a.m. EST, featured a comprehensive interactive online forum for future college students and their parents seeking information about higher education.
For a complete list of colleges, universities and higher education contributors that participated in EducationXpo, as well as to register for a replay, visit www.educationxpo.com.
Visitors to the site will have access the comprehensive set of information fo 90 days — following the live event on November 6th.
Posted in Admissions | No Comments »
November 14th, 2008
It is very important to talk with your kids about their career aspirations to make sure they are in line with reality.
It was cute when they were in the “I want to be a ballerina-veterinarian-astronaut” stage. Once your child is in college, I am afraid it is show time.
You need to have real conversations about their interests and what jobs might suit them. You also need to help them prepare for reality. Many of my clients support the notion that upon graduation, there is going to be a high paying job waiting for the graduate. This can happen. But does it always happen? No. Does it usually happen? No.
A great joint activity is to research together what those careers, they are pursuing, actually pay, advises Kristine Dixon, Schwab’s director of consumer education. This can easily be done by checking out the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Compensation Survey . You can get average hourly earnings for different professions.
Your student can check out typical salaries across the country with Salary.com’s Salary Wizard.
Have your student come up with a general budget with what people typically spend on shelter, food, transportation and other living expenses in your area. Then, have them compare the expenses to the salary they can expect from the major they are pursuing. Don’t forget to include their responsibility for the student loans.
Many graduates are fortunate to have a good entry level positions but they often have second jobs to help pay off the student loans. There are smart young adults that are baby sitting and getting part time jobs on Craigs List to help off set their lifestyle expectations and their salaries.
Not too much has changed over the generations except the current graduates have higher lifestyle expectations which come at a dollar and cents cost. They have a high expectation and I think it sets them up for a bigger disappointment. I want them prepared with realistic expectations. I have no doubt they will meet the challenge.
Posted in Career | No Comments »
November 11th, 2008
Due to the economics, moving back to the family home is often a necessity. There needs to be some discussion between parent and child, yes, they will always be your child. Having the conversation sooner than later will protect your parent child relationship. Keep the communication open and honest.
- How long would this arrangement be in place?
- What are the parents’ and (adult) child’s expectations for the “rules”?
- Do you expect them to let you know when they will be coming home at night?
- Do you want them to tell you where they are going and when they will be back?
- Do you expect them to contribute to household duties, cooking, cleaning? (Certainly, you should not be expected to make their bed and clean up after them like when they were in elementary school.)
- Should they contribute to the household expenses?
Posted in Parenting | No Comments »
November 7th, 2008
By burning the midnight oil, school health officials warn, grades suffer, as well as your students’ health.
A study in the January 2008 issue of Behavioral Sleep Medicine found 60 percent of 120 college students surveyed have pulled at least one all-nighter; those students had lower grade-point averages compared with classmates who never stayed up all night.
Parents need to be alert to emails that arrive in the wee morning hours… like 4am. This tells you, your student is falling in the trap of pulling all nighters.
This is a growing trend because there is so much to fill those waking hours besides study. Universities have acknowledged this problem and many are running campaigns to promote getting a good nights sleep.
Sleep deprivation is seen as a badge of courage in college but now we know better. To get more A’s, the student needs to get more Zzz’s.
Posted in Parenting | No Comments »
November 4th, 2008
Parents Advice to their College Students:
- The first 12 words you speak should include some form of thanks, like “It’s a pleasure meeting you” or “I appreciate the time you have taken to arrange for us to meet.”
- The first 12 steps should be those of confidence. People who walk 10 percent faster than they normally do are perceived as getting more done.
- The first 12 inches from the top of your head down should feature impeccable grooming, which means hair, collar, tie/scarf, and other accessories.
- The last 12 inches, from the floor to mid-calf, should be well maintained. Shoes should be polished and look like new, even if they are not, and stockings should blend with outfit (This also means to wear stockings if you are female.)
- Dress for the position you want, not the position you have.
- A smile is the best ice-breaker. Be interested in other people.
- Eye contact is important.
- Approach others who are standing alone to feel comfortable in a room full of strangers. By being more interested in others, you will be perceived as more interesting.
- Listen more than you speak.
- When invited to dinner, ask for a recommendation on the menu. It sets the top price range to choose from.
- Never order an appetizer unless the host urges you to do so. Eat around the food you don’t like. Do not transfer it to another plate.
- Keep pace eating with other people at the table. Let the waiter take your plate if you fall behind and the others are finished.
- Always leave something on the plate.
- Let the person who invited you set the tone of conversation. Don’t bring up business until the employer does.
- Avoid humor when you are being interviewed.
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October 31st, 2008
This generation of young adults that have been parented by the best intentioned helicopter parent will bring an openness to advice and a willingness to accept the guidance of others.
So what does this mean for the young adult entering a competitive job market that puts the power back in the hands of the employer?
This type of parenting results in an independence in young people, not seen before. It also means a work ethic that will drive success.
So my strong recommendation to parents, shift those hovering blades down a notch. Back it off and watch your young adult fly.
Posted in Parenting | No Comments »
October 28th, 2008
Does your college student have to walk to classes or back to their dorm room in the early morning or late at night?
Do they walk alone?
- Are you aware that one in six (that is 1 in 6) women in their lifetime will be attacked or raped? 1 out of every 6 American women have been the victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).
- 17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.
- College age women are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.
- About 3% of American men — or 1 in 33 — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.
- Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.
As more and more instances of campus violence are reported on the news, college students and their parents are beginning to be concerned about campus safety, and with good reason. Educate yourself and your student on college safety products.
There are door jams, pepper spray and hidden cameras. Check out the internet for products appropriate for you and your college student. Tools for safety are good investments. Both you and your student will sleep better at night.
Posted in College Essentials | No Comments »
October 24th, 2008
High School students should be responsible for their current budget. This is a beginning point. Just by writing down what they spend money on as a senior can be an eye opener. A Starbucks every day costs over $100 a month. So we are looking at $1000 a semester. Does the student have that kind of liquid cash to spend on Starbucks every day?
Good habits start in high school. Spending money needs to be tracked.
What can be controlled in college is housing costs; food costs (there are food plans at every college); tuition and books; and activity fees. Will the student have a car? Live in a dorm? Have travel expenses (commuting)? This determines expenses.
The spending money is what gets out of control. The Student activity fee (which is usually mandatory) covers many activities on campus. The student should initially concentrate on getting involved in the activities on campus that are free. If money is not a concern, then explore sororities and fraternities etc…
During Orientation, a bank is often available that offers special student rates and free checking. A DEBIT card is much safer with students because when the money is gone, it’s gone. It’s real. A credit card just keeps mounting. It is invisible. The same goes for cell phone bills. If you have a student that cannot manage their telephone bills, then put them on a calling card. When the card is used up, it’s finished. The result is real and instant. No delay.
Start teaching money management in High School, even Middle School. Our College Students are graduating with way too much college debt and credit card debt. This is all avoidable. Delayed gratification is a good thing to teach. Our College Students are graduating with $20,000 - $30,000 college debt PLUS their credit card debt. Think about this…The initial salary averages to be about $30,000 a year.
Posted in Financial | No Comments »
October 21st, 2008
China is the world’s fourth largest economy. It continues to grow by about 9.5% a year. China is also the top recipient of foreign investment—one that has become a top trading partner with the U.S.
Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world.
Approximately 867 million people speak Mandarin, and a total of 1.1 billion people speak other dialects of Chinese, according to Language Today. An article entitled “The 10 Most Influential Languages,” indicates English is spoken by 330 million people worldwide—followed by Spanish (300 million), Hindi/Urdu (250 million), and Arabic (200 million).
Already, most major U.S. universities are offering Chinese classes. Graduates with Chinese language skills can explore jobs in the following fields:
- Intelligence operations
- International business / international relations
- IT and computer technology
- National and international security
- Travel industry expert
- Translator
Posted in Career | No Comments »
