aUgUST 9, 2023 Vol. 62 ISSUe 43
News from plainfield Joliet Shorewood lockport crest Hill bolingbrook romeoville Downers grove Westmont Woodridge lisle Niles morton grove park ridge & more
College has become the traditional next step for many of today’s students despite its high price tag. According to information from Education Data Initiative, the average cost of college in the United States is now $35,551 per student per year, including books, supplies, and daily living expenses. However, many schools cost much more annually.
Colleges in Canada are not free to attend, but they are considerably less expensive than American schools, particularly because some are subsidized by provincial governments. International students will pay more for Canadian colleges and universities than domestic students.
Families facing the prospect of college on the horizon would undoubtedly like to do all they can to make college more affordable. There are many different ways to pay for college tuition. The following are some of the paths students and their families can take.
Some guardians feel that it is their responsibility to pay for college, while others say that it is up to the students to handle some, if not all, of the costs. Most people cannot afford to pay college tuition bills each semester as they
would a utility bill or mortgage. That makes it essential for families to begin saving for college very early on.
People can put funds in bank accounts or tax-advantaged investment opportunities, and Education Savings Accounts, such as Coverdell accounts and 529 Plans. It’s important to note that investment accounts have a higher percentage of risk than low-interest savings accounts, particularly because they are tied to investments. However, such accounts boast the potential for greater growth. Families must weigh the pros and cons accordingly.
Financial aid
One of the first steps prospective college students in the United States who need help paying for college should do is fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form will help the government, as well as individual schools, determine financial need and aid eligibility. The FAFSA will ask for personal and family income information as well as tax records to determine eligibility. It also will establish an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which will be renamed a Student Aid Index (SAI) for a given school year. It is a formula that the Department of Education uses to crunch family financial data and determine
eligibility for financial aid, says Lending Tree. Those with lower EFCs/SAIs generally receive more financial aid. There are ways to lower EFCs if families start well before the college application process.
Some schools offer grant money or scholarships to students based on academic performance, alumni ties or other factors, which does not have to
be paid back. Students also can pursue private scholarships and grants through outside organizations, such as parents’ employers.
Loans
After all financial aid, personal savings, investments, and scholarships/ grants have been exhausted, student or parental loans may be needed to round out the cost of attendance. If possible, students should opt to, at the
least, make interest payments on student loans while in school. In the U.S., lenders require students to take out a Federal Direct Loan prior to applying for private loans. It’s essential to shop interest rates and payback rules for each loan to secure the best deal. College tuition is expensive, but students and their families have various options to plan for and potentially mitigate those costs.
Senior year of high school can be a whirlwind of activity. The early months are spent wrapping up standardized testing and applying to college. Since many colleges and universities ask for mid-year transcripts for students to aid with class placement and/or make final admissions decisions, students also need to maintain their studies and grades throughout the fall and winter.
Come the spring, when graduating seniors have already picked a college, students with their eyes on the finish line may feel like pulling back a bit. According to Southern New Hampshire University, the term “senioritis” refers to a common condition reflecting a lack of motivation by students who are reaching the end of their coursework. While it occurs in high school seniors and college seniors, those in trade schools or other programs also can experience senioritis. Students hope that they can simply coast until the end of school. It’s important not to let senioritis set in to the point that students’ academic futures are suddenly compromised.
• Consider the repercussions.
According to the University of the People, many colleges have a policy that incoming freshmen must maintain a certain GPA to become students at their institutions. Letting grades slip can ruin chances of attending the school you worked hard to get into, even if you’ve already been accepted. Dartmouth College, for example, notes that they reserve the right to rescind an offer if “the student’s final academic record has lowered significantly.” A similar policy is enforced by Stanford University.
• Schedule breaks. Take advantage of time off from school and on the weekends to engage in fun activities. Respites from school work can help you return to studies fresh and ready to engage anew.
• Plan your senior courses wisely. Work with your guidance counselor to schedule courses throughout your time at school so your senior year schedule features few rigorous classes and includes more enjoyable electives.
• Hold each other accountable. Get together with a close group of classmates to inspire one another to continue to study and maintain
good grades. Accountability to another person can serve as motivation.
• Ask for help and support. It’s common for seniors to want to slack off if they’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed. If various
factors in your life are causing you anxiety, reach out to your parents and friends for help.
• Establish strong habits. Learning to stay focused even throughout the spring of senior year can help set the course for good habits
that spill over into college, like time management and focus. Avoiding a case of senioritis can be challenging, but it is in students’ best interests to stay focused on their work until they don their caps and gowns.
There are many reasons for parents to encourage children who express an interest in volunteering. Volunteering is a social activity that can help children develop their social and networking skills, and many parents credit volunteering with instilling a sense of perspective in their children that they might not have gained had they not been exposed to people from different backgrounds. Volunteering also has been linked to stronger academic performance. The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that students who indicate they’re doing better in school are more likely to be volunteers than students who report doing less well. The broadened exposure to people and places that students may otherwise not encounter without volunteering also can benefit them in the classroom, helping them more readily identify with cultures and societies they’re studying. College applicants with volunteering experience also may set themselves apart in the increasingly competitive application process. Though a 2019 Pew Research study reported that most schools admit more than
two-thirds of their applicants, that figure is significantly lower at many of the more highly rated institutions in the United States. For
example, Stanford University (4.3 percent) and Harvard University (4.9 percent) recently reported acceptance rates below 5 percent.
Though volunteering alone won’t help applicants gain acceptance to such competitive institutions, it can serve as a strong résumé build-
er and be even more effective if it also produces the previously noted improvements in academic performance.
The end of summer can be a bittersweet time for students. While many students look forward to seeing their friends, few want to say goodbye to the relaxing days of summer.
Parents know that getting their children back in the school day swing of things can be a challenge. The following are some ways to make that transition go smoothly.
• Introduce more structure as summer vacation winds down. The chance to unwind in a structure-free setting can benefit students at the onset of summer vacation. Many parents grapple with the notion that their children’s lives are overscheduled, and the Cleveland Clinic notes that limiting organized activities clears up down time for kids to play and relax and spend time with their families. So it’s important that parents afford their children this down time during summer vacation, only gradually introducing more structure as the school year draws closer. In the weeks before the school year is slated to begin, start waking kids up a little earlier and reintroducing bed-
times for younger children who may have been staying up later over the last couple of months. This can be an effective way to begin slowly preparing youngsters for the structure of the school year.
• Encourage children to read throughout the summer. A report from the education publishing company Scholastic found that 47 percent of parents are unaware of the “summer slide,” which refers to the loss of academic skills that occurs when school is not in session. Scholastic notes that the slide is largely attributed to a lack of reading when school is not in session. By encouraging kids to read during their summer vacations, parents can make sure youngsters’ brains stay sharp and are ready to learn once the school year begins.
• Focus on the positive. Even kids who love school may be apprehensive about returning to the classroom. After all, summer vacation is fun. Parents can confront that apprehension by focusing on the positives of returning to school. Emphasize the chance to see friends every day or participate
in a beloved extracurricular activity, like sports, band or a favorite academic club.
• Let kids do some of their own back-to-school shopping. The items that constitute back to school sup-
plies may have changed since parents were in school. But many parents still take their children on back-to-school clothes shopping excursions. Let kids choose their own clothes, as an opportunity to wear clothes they picked
themselves might make them excited for the new school year.
Parents can take various steps to make the transition back to school a successful one for their young students.
August marks the beginning of a new school year for millions of children. A new school year contains a host of challenges for every student, but some, particularly those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may face steeper challenges than others.
ADHD is common in both the United States and Canada. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that ADHD affects between 4 and 12 percent of school-aged children, while the Center for ADHD Awareness, Canada indicates between 5 and 7 percent of Canadian youngsters have the condition. Such figures are disconcerting, particularly when considering the adverse effects of ADHD on academic performance. In fact, a 2019 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that ADHD was associated with substantially lower performance in school independent of socioeconomic background factors.
The stakes are high regarding ADHD and academics, so as a new school year begins, students and their families can familiarize themselves
with the condition to ensure it does not interfere with their efforts to do their best in the classroom in the year ahead.
The AAP describes ADHD as “a chronic condition of the brain that makes it difficult for children to control their behavior.” Such characterization explains why the link between ADHD and poor academic performance is so strong. The AAP notes that children with ADHD often have trouble getting along with other children and, if they have issues with attention, they can have difficulty learning.
Behavioral symptoms of ADHD
The AAP notes that ADHD includes three distinct groups of symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Children with inattention may daydream and have a hard time paying attention, often do not seem to listen, may be easily distracted from work or play, and may not follow through on instructions or finish tasks. Children with hyperactivity may be in constant motion, exhibit difficulty staying seated, frequently squirm or fidget, talk too much, and
be incapable of playing quietly. Children with impulsivity may frequently act and speak without thinking, run into a street without first looking for oncoming traffic, be incapable of waiting, and frequently interrupt others.
It’s important for parents to recognize that children with ADHD will not necessarily have all the symptoms.
Students face many challenges during their academic careers. Overcoming those challenges not only sets a strong foundation for success in the classroom, but also outside of the classroom.
Foreign language courses pose a significant challenge to many students. But learning a second language can benefit students in both the short- and long-term.
• Early language learning can improve cognitive abilities. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages notes that various studies dating back several decades have connected language learning with improved cognitive abilities. Such studies have linked early language learning with higher IQs and superior problemsolving skills compared to non-bilingual students.
• Bilingualism can improve memory. A 2003 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology found that bilingualism had positive effects on both episodic memory and semantic memory. Episodic memory is a type of long-term memory that involves conscious recollection of previous experiences together with their context. Semantic memory also is a type of long-term memory that involves the capacity to recall words, concepts or numbers. Strengthening
these types of memory can benefit children in the classroom and outside the classroom when they reach adulthood.
• Bilingualism can benefit working professionals. The benefits of bilingualism don’t end once students enter the workforce as professionals. In fact, a 2017 study of data from the market analytics firm Burning Glass Technologies found that, between 2010 and 2015, the number of job postings aimed at bilingual workers nearly tripled, rising from 240,000 in 2010 to 630,000 by 2015. Students who put in the effort to learn a foreign language during their academic careers can benefit greatly from that hard work when the time comes to begin their professional careers.
• Bilingualism can make foreign travel easier. In addition to improving students’ academic and professional prospects, bilingualism can make it easier for students to fully engage in other cultures when they travel overseas. Understanding a native tongue in a foreign country can simplify travel within that country and potentially pave the way for lifelong friendships.
Developing fluency in a foreign language is no small task, but it’s one that’s well worth the effort.
Symptoms are classified by the type of ADHD a child has, and a physician will indicate that upon diagnosis.
ADHD cases are usually determined to be inattentive only, hyperactive/ impulsive or combined ADHD, which includes symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
When should I alert a physician?
The AAP notes that all children
exhibit the symptoms noted above from time to time. However, a physician should be alerted when children exhibit those symptoms on a regular basis for more than six months. ADHD can affect children both academically and socially. More information can be found at healthychildren.org.
