Independent Colleges of Indiana

Seniors: are you having trouble trying to decide which college is right for you?  You may want to take a look through the Independent Colleges of Indiana website.  It has links to all 31 Independent Colleges in Indiana with information that helps you understand what makes each university a unique choice. Independent colleges tend to provide students more individual interaction with their professors. Students may have the opportunity to pair with a mentor who will guide you towards success in courses. Those who attend independent colleges in Indiana have generally found the courses to be demanding with quality instruction.

Don't let the cost of these institutions deter you, there are many funds available to make your dream of attending your favored school of higher education.  As you browse the site, you will also find useful links regarding financial aid, and scholarships as well as how to compare colleges through the College Navigator.

Take a moment to learn about Independent Colleges of Indiana - perhaps your college or university is waiting there for you!

Back to Work: Strategies to Help Pay for College

It has been forever since I posted something new here - I think the summer kidnapped me to a place where I just couldn't get away this year!  And now where did the summer go?!  I cannot believe it is August first and that first day is just around the corner...17 days my dear kiddos!  Yikes!  I must admit, I am not quite ready to go back, and I am generally anxious to get started.  Guess, I'll just have to start gearing up! 

Thought I'd start off with the ever-popular topic of funding college.  Figuring out how to pay for college can be a never-ending nightmare for many parents and students - especially for those that just don't quite fall into the 'right' tax bracket to benefit from additional financial aid.   I came across this article on the web Financial Aid 101 and thought it might be helpful.  Students, it might be a good idea to take a look, or at least pass it on to your parents.  I have quite a few other financial aid sources posted on the blog as well, if you take some time to peruse them, you may find something new to help you out.

Good luck, and enjoy these last few carefree days of summer!

Calming Test Anxiety

Sweaty palms, nervous stomach, and a racing heart.  Sounds like getting ready to go out on a first date, but not this time. These are often symptoms that students exhibit if they have test anxiety.  The good news is test anxiety can be calmed or even eliminated by taking some simple steps. 

I think one of the most helpful things is to recognize and admit that you actually do have test anxiety.  Additional symptoms of test anxiety may include: forgetting all information when you sit down to take the test, worrying about how much time there is left,or that others are finishing before you, and having trouble making a decision on choosing an answer. If you see yourself having any of those dilemmas, you can take action to help overcome the anxiety. 

Common suggestions are: making sure you get plenty of sleep, study a little bit every day, instead of cramming the night before, and deep breathing.  Some also say it is helpful to visualize yourself being successful as you take a test. 

Getting plenty of sleep is important to be sure your brain is rested and alert.  This is important not only the night before a test, but every day leading up to the test.  If you have been burning the midnight oil every night for two weeks, it may be even more stressful for you to tell yourself, "I really have to sleep tonight, I have a test tomorrow." Then you may end up not sleeping at all because you're worried about not sleeping.  Believe me, I understand, it has happened countless times to me!  So, try to be in the habit of getting at least 7 hours  (or more) of sleep a night.

I am fairly certain teachers have told you to study a little bit each day to prepare for the test, and it really is true.  Even taking 15 minutes to review material every day can help you retain the information for a longer time period.  Also, try to come up with tricks to help you remember information, whether it's mnemonic devices (My Very Excited Mom Just Saw Unbelievable Ninja's - Mercury, Venus, Earth, etc.) or other word associations.  At Fairfield everyone is working on increasing student academic vocabulary and one of the steps involved with that is drawing a picture or symbol that would help you remember the word. That is helpful in other areas as well.  It doesn't really matter what the picture or symbol is, as long as it has meaning for you - and it helps you remember!

Try taking several calming breaths before and during the test situation.  Tell yourself to be calm and relax: "I am calm.  I am relaxed"  I know it sounds a bit strange, but you will be very surprised how well this works.  Even just taking 10 to 20 deep, slow breaths can make a world of difference.  The trick is actually remembering to do it!

Finally, imagine yourself taking the test and knowing all the answers and being successful.  This can be especially helpful to do before you go to sleep the night before a test.  If you combine this with the deep breathing, you may be able to get a better night's sleep as well.

If you try all of the above and still have trouble taking tests, and want to truly ovecome your anxiety, it might be wise to seek professional help. There is something to be said for those who seek outside assistance, and I encourage those to make a conscious decision when you need help.  It's just like going to the doctor when you need stitches; your body can heal itself, but it heals better when you get assistance from a professional.

There are many helpful websites available that can provide suggestions.  Some of the sights  I have referred to in this article are: How to Deal with Test Anxiety, Test Anxiety, How to Calm SAT Test Anxiety.  There are additional links associated with these sights where you can find more information as well.

ISTEP and ECA Information

Oh my goodness...where has the time gone?!  My life has been chaotic, to say the least.  Now that the Applied Skills portion of ISTEP and GQE is over, maybe I will have some time to add new information here. (We'll see how that goes!)

Anyone who wants help preparing for ISTEP can click here: Indiana Department of Education Testing Information to find samples of ISTEP items that you can download and print out. The Multiple Choice portion of ISTEP will be the last week of April.

ECA's are the End of Course Assessments that the state requires all students to pass before they graduate.  They are taking the place of the old GQE (Graduation Qualifying Exam).  Currently students must pass ECA's in Algebra I and English 10. For more information on how ECA's work click here: ECA - Class of 2012 and Beyond.  To find testing sampler items for Algebra I, English 10 and other subject areas you can access this site: ECA Testing Information  At Fairfield I believe the tests will be administered the first and second weeks of May.  I will try to remember to post the exact dates when it gets a bit closer.

FAFSA

ATTENTION ALL SENIORS:  Whether you are planning on attending college or not, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is something that must be done.  Filling out this form with you and your parents' financial information will help determine the amount of federal and state aid available to you for continuing education.  Even if you think you won't be attending college, I would strongly advise that you do it anyway.  That way if you change your mind, you  may still be able to receive some assistance.

The first thing you will need to do is go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/  and sign up to get a PIN - which acts as you electronic signature.  Parents will also need to get one!  Then you may want to print out a FAFSA on the web worksheet.  You can use this to fill in all of your financial information.  (You and your parents will need your W2 form and any other financial information - checking & savings account, investments, etc.) After you do the worksheet, you can go back onto the FAFSA website to complete the form online.  BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR PIN NUMBERS AT THE END and send it through. 

The whole process is surprisingly user friendly - much easier than it used to be, and there are step-by-step guidelines to follow. It is also very secure and safe.  Another nice thing about doing this all on the web is that if there is a mistake, you receive an email - with highlighted areas that need to be fixed and you can do this very quickly. 

All information must be submitted by MARCH 10th in order to qualify for state aid.  To be safe, I would suggest having everything  completed by March 1st.  In fact, if you are attending Purdue, and are a 21st Century Scholar - you must have it complete by the March 1st deadline. 

All Fairfield seniors and parents should plan on attending the Financial Aid Meeting on January 25, at 7:00 PM.  A financial aid officer from Bethel College will be there to explain the process and answer any questions you may have.  An InTerra Credit Union representative will also be there to provide additional information about "Credit Union Student Choice".  Watch the announcements for reminders and updates.