Yesterday I made a comment about how, as an employer, the qualities we look for in a good employee aren’t really super-complicated, and that I could probably boil it down to four things in a blog post if anyone was interested. A lot of you said yeah, let’s hear it — so here it is …
How to Get a Job, Part 1: Research & Understand Me Read More »
The comments came fast and furious yesterday as I expected after the GPA post, but they were surprisingly less vitriolic than they’ve been in the past. That must be Counselor Buddy’s soothing effect on you. You brought up a lot more varied questions on the GPA topic, so I’m taking today to answer some of …
You guys seem to like Counselor Buddy, so today you get an extra dose of her! Like me, C-Buddy has acquired over the years a pretty long list of things that students could be doing better to help themselves get into college, and also to win scholarships. Unlike me, however, C-Buddy works face-to-face with high …
Good evening, young champions. Counselor Buddy returns today to give you a very important tip that I never would’ve thought of, and I pepper in comments that I think are helpful, or at least moderately humorous. Let’s get at it. Hey, I’m not sure if this is post-worthy, but I’ve got a pet-peeve that I …
Two Fatal Mistakes with Recommendation Letters (Counselor Buddy!) Read More »
Writer’s block is killing me today, and a lot of the scholarship questions I have in the hopper here are either too personal to publish here on the blog or they’re questions I can’t answer because they’re way outside of my sphere of knowledge. I absolutely WILL post every weekday on this blog, though, so …
Well, I wouldn’t worry about the state budget cuts too much if you have a full ride. Nothing’s beyond the realm of possibility when it comes to politicians, of course, but it would be an EXTREMELY unpopular move to renege on full-ride scholarships. And since politicians’ highest allegiance is to avoiding unpopular stances so that they can keep their offices and the power that comes with them, I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over that part.
I love it when someone approaches me with the words, “Hey, settle this bet for us.” It’s fun to be a bet-settler, but there’s some pressure because a) I mean, this is a bet. Someone’s going to be declared the LOSER because of what I say; and b) You have to set aside your natural …
Can You Work Full-Time & Study Full-Time at the Same Time? (Sam’s Story) Read More »
If you are not absolutely lockdown certain about what to do with your life, this message is for you (and even if you ARE sure…you should read it, too. 🙂
YOUR LIFE PLANS ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO WORK OUT LIKE YOU THINK.
Now, that sounds a little negative. But I don’t mean it that way. I actually mean it in a very positive way. Let me explain.
It’s Monday, and I for one am raring to go. Got 45 minutes of cardio in this morning before breakfast (a very healthy one, I might add), and I’ve got a fresh pot of coffee and a quiet house. As Joe from “Family Guy” would say….LET’S DO IIIIIIIT! A fellow named Christian wrote me a …
Christian’s Story: Does the School You Choose Ever Matter? Read More »
It’s Friday, and what better way to end the week than with a discussion that’s relevant to everyone? Today, a stressed-out lass from Maryland named Katie helps us explore the question of how much — if at all — the school you choose affects your future. I’m guessing debate will rage on this on at …
Where Should Katie Master Public Health? (Pun Intended) Read More »
I got a great note yesterday from a guy named Tony who’s in a tough spot, so I thought I’d use his letter as the basis for today’s post. Tony may just be the poster child for this time and place in our history, and I hope he’s in the beginning stages of what turns …
Three Kids, No Money, a GED & Plenty of Heart (Tony’s Story) Read More »
Hola, friends. I’m writing today’s post from a hospital waiting room, where my wife is having nose surgery. No, it’s not a nose job — it’s actually surgery to open up her sinuses and hopefully stop her headaches not caused by me. 🙂 Best part of the waiting room? Free wi-fi and bagels. Worst part? …
Happy Monday to all of you, even though I’ll admit, Monday isn’t usually anything either one of us are probably ever happy about, other than when it’s over. I haven’t got much sleep the last couple of nights, so I’m grouchy (more so than usual, even), and so I’ve picked the perkiest and most positive-sounding …
Transfer to Public School? Community College or No? Defy My Parents? Read More »
Evening, fellas (that’s a gender-neutral term on this blog). I’m going to keep it short and sweet today, since a) I’m home alone this weekend minus kids or wife and am going to try to spend it some other way than glued to this computer like I do every other day, and b) it’s Friday, …
People stop caring about what school you went to REALLY fast. In fact, by the time you’re halfway through at Johns Hopkins, you and your friends will be surrounded by people who think JH sucks and is wildly overrated. Don’t believe me? Remember — there are gonna be people at JH who are pissed to be there, because they really had their hearts set on Yale or Princeton and got rejected.
I mean, first we were talking very generically about private schools, expensive schools, “name” schools, etc. But now, we find we’re dealing with the biggest “name” school of them all — the one name that, above all others, really does carry a lot of weight in every corner of the world.
Ridiculous as it may seem, many states put more emphasis on teaching teachers to teach, rather than teaching them anything worth teaching.
Your experience is a twist on that theme, though — it doesn’t sound as if you’ve been repeatedly trampled by fate every time you’ve done something; you just come up a tiny bit short. Trust me when I say that millions of people know exactly how you feel.
Happy Easter from the wind-swept plains of Western South Dakota! Where the usual surprise (not really) April blizzard hit us overnight, and is providing good cover for the Easter Bunny as he creeps nigh. Wow, we got a ton of great responses on my hate mail post yesterday, and one of the best was from …
Why Don’t I Ever Win? (or) Why Doesn’t My Kid Ever Win? Read More »
***Update: This is NOT an April Fool’s joke, as some commenters have thought. It’s real, I promise! *** OK, it’s almost the holiday weekend, so as promised, I thought I’d go with light reading today and share with you one of the greatest pieces of hate mail I ever received. I received this back in …
Scholarship Hate Mail, Volume 1 (Unhinged Maniac Edition!) Read More »
