Why Is It Crucial To Encourage Your Teen To Take Up A Hobby In College?

January 15, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Stress in college is a serious problem these days. The most recent data shows that about 60% of college students have felt so stressed that they could not complete their work in at least one instance. Additionally, another 85% of students reported feeling overwhelmed by their workload/schedule in the past year. While much of getting your teen prepared for college involves academic and test prep, it’s crucial not to ignore their mental health. One way to help foster your teen’s overall well-being throughout college is by encouraging him or her to take up a hobby. Studies have shown many times over that hobbies of all kinds promote stress relief, mindfulness, and improved health. If you are looking to help your teen develop a positive way to take a break from daily stressors, suggest a hobby in one of many interest areas.

Play Music

Whether your teen wants to learn guitar, piano, violin or the drums, playing music carries with it many positive benefits. In fact, music-related hobbies have been shown to enhance one’s memory, significantly reduce stress levels, provide a mood boost, deliver a sense of achievement, strengthen relationships, and reduce the risk of developing depression and anxiety. In college, there are quite a few opportunities for your son or daughter to take up playing music as a hobby. From informal lessons at the college to joining the school’s band or performance group, help your teen find the option that is right for his or her schedule.

Practice Art

Art of all kinds can be an extraordinary hobby for all talent levels. Above and beyond the fun it provides, art has been used to treat individuals with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other physical and mental health ailments. Engaging in almost any form of art can cause the brain to release dopamine, which enhances an individual’s mood. Art can also promote resilience to stress, improved math, reading, and language abilities, and better problem-solving skills. It’s also another hobby that is easy to take up in college. Many schools offer drawing, painting, pottery, and other courses for credit. Alternatively, your teen can pick up supplies to create the art of his or her choice in the peace and comfort of a dorm or apartment.

Get Active

From tennis to running, there’s an endless list of hobbies that require physical activity. Exercise of all intensity levels has been shown to reduce stress, improve cognitive function, and enhance one’s overall health. If you and your college student share a favorite sport or outdoor activity, make plans on a regular basis to practice it as a shared hobby. You can also help your son or daughter find and register for local recreation teams or instructional classes. Many universities also offer the opportunity to play various sports for fun.

Connecting your teen with a hobby at the beginning of college is important for helping him or her to cope with the stressors of daily life. Homework, busy class schedules, work, and social events can make this time in life exciting, yet highly stressful. Encouraging the regular practice of a hobby can ensure that your teen is taking routine breaks, and is watching out for his or her mental health.

How to Talk To Your Daughter about College Funding and Responsibility

June 22, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

How to Talk To Your Daughter about College Funding and Responsibility

Your daughter will see her dad as the provider and head of the household, so she might not think that she has anything that she needs to do besides tell you where she wants to enroll. Next, you may not be on the same page when it comes to applying for scholarships and grants or exploring student loans. Ultimately, it will be your daughter’s actions that decide whether she will qualify for an academic scholarship or has what it takes to maintain an athletic scholarship during college. Lastly, there is the financial aid portion of planning for college that many teenage girls overlook. Whether she is eager to earn her bachelor of science in diagnostic medical sonography from ADU Online or really wants to become a teacher, financial aid is an important step that you will need to work together to complete. Here’s how to plan a great future for your precious daughter.

Talking Openly about College Expenses

You’ve lived together and shared a lot, but dads trying to sit down and come up with a sensible plan for college with their daughters have many challenges to contend with. Not all parents believe that they should outright pay their children’s college expenses, especially if their kids haven’t shown an adequate level of responsibility. You may need to talk to your daughter about her getting a part-time job as she works on her bachelor of medical sonography degree to help offset costs. Then there’s the fact that both you and your daughter might need to take out student loans to help get through college. If your daughter doesn’t have established credit, you will need to co-sign on all of her loans so that they get approved.

Discussing Responsibilities and Expectations

Perhaps the deal that you made with your daughter consists of her maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA for you to foot the bill. Other fathers require their daughters to check-in with them consistently, especially if they are going to college in a different state. Whatever your rules are, make sure you explain them adequately. Realize that your child is going to be quite busy and distracted with school, so she will appreciate knowing what her responsibilities are upfront rather than having a detailed discussion in the middle of spring semester.

Coming Up With Alternative College Plans

Remember that getting into college has a lot to do with grades, but luck also plays a part. Let your daughter know that she is not guaranteed to be accepted to her dream college and help her to make up alternative plans just in case. You might also face challenges when you start calculating college expenses, so see if there are any creative ways that you can your daughter can come up with to help fund her higher education.

If you can’t wait to watch your little girl graduate with her class and throw her cap in the air, make sure that you have an honest discussion about planning for college. You may not want to disappoint her on any level, but being upfront about expenses and responsibilities will actually help you to gain more respect. Remember that college is a new experience for young adults, so be understanding about her concerns and you will be able to enjoy an even stronger relationship with your daughter.

Saving and Paying for College Doesn’t Have to Be Hard!

April 29, 2016 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

I have worked in the College Admissions field for about 20 years now, and as my own kids get older and older people keep coming to me asking me for advice on paying for college and college planning in general.

I cannot say that I have all of the answers, but I can say that there are some things that I have been doing since my own children were young that may be helpful to you too.

For us, from an early age we started a 409 educational savings plan for our kids. While we were not always able to place a lot into the account, having it there accruing interest always helped. We also started talking to our kids from an early age about the future and the reality of the cost of higher education. While I work in higher education, it is safe to say that the cost continues to rise and even though I have been saving, I do not know that I can say that I will have enough saved to cover the entire college education that my kids will encounter in 7-9 years.

Just saying 7-9 years makes me realize how fast time flies as your kids grow up, and this is important for all parents to soak in early. Why? Because, if you keep saying, I’ll start saving tomorrow, soon you will find that tomorrow has past you by and college is on your doorstep.

As I mentioned, I know that I probably will not have enough saved for my kids, so I keep my eyes out for other options outside of just the federal government. One program that looked really promising lately is one called College Ave Student Loans Parent Loan. This parent loan seems to be a good option to consider for those families you may need to pay for college. In reading more about the loan itself; it can save you money (no origination fee, lower rates than the federal loan for those with qualifying credit), and personalized options to meet individual financial situations (such as money directly deposited in parents’ bank account to help pay for extra educational expenses, and multiple ways to pay back the loan including a reduced interest rate if you start paying back while your child is in school).

The site was easy to navigate and there was a very cool resource that I really appreciated: A student loan calculator! The new College Ave Student Loans parent loan offers qualified parent borrowers an average savings of $1,000 vs. the Federal Direct Parent which can really add up in the end.

Do you want to learn more about the The new College Ave Student Loans parent loan experience? Check out the below to find out more or to see if you may be qualified for their services!

About College Ave Student Loans

College Ave Student Loans, a leading online student loan marketplace lender, and Experian®, a leading global information services company, are offering a limited time joint offer of a credit health check — a complimentary, personalized credit education session with an Experian Credit EducatorSM agent — to families preparing to pay for college. College Ave is collaborating with Experian to better support parents who may need to consider borrowing or cosigning a private student loan if savings, scholarships and federal aid fall short of higher education costs. Families who may want to explore private financing options should start getting ready now. The personalized credit education session offers an in-depth, one-on-one, 35-minute phone call with an Experian Credit Educator agent.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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How You (and your child) Can Begin Planning for College

January 17, 2014 by dadofdivas 2 Comments

How You (and your child) Can Begin Planning for College

For a good part of my childhood, I did not grow up with my dad so there was a gap of roughly five years — those impressionable times — when I didn’t have a male role model in my life. Eventually my now step-dad came to the rescue.

I mention this because the gap time was in my late childhood – early teens. This was the time when my friends began to speculate what life will be like in high school and beyond, whereas I had not a clue.

Our school had already begun to tell us we should plan for college and I even began talking to college recruiters in middle school due to my good grades.

Eventually, things settled down, due in part from the guidance my step-dad have given me (and thanks to doing online research), but I can’t help to think what it would be like today if I didn’t have that push.

I guess what I’m trying to say, from the perspective I can give, is that being a father and raising young ones means that it’s never too early to start planning for the future – especially with college.

Since I took a little different approach to higher education, I’d like to give you my perspective and discoveries along the way.

Here are a few of my recommendations (with the aid of modern tools and resources):

Know the job market via stats – The Bureau of Labor Statistics and Department of Labor may not be the most exciting websites out there but they’re a fantastic set of resources to see the past, present, and future outlook on job statistics. Knowing the trends of where professions are going will help you give advice to your young ones and help paint a realistic picture instead of leading them on toward a dying industry.

Inspire entrepreneurship at an early age – There are many resources to learn how to start a business, but what matters most is inspiring your children to pursue an idea and turn it into a business project. Business isn’t just about greed. Entrepreneurship will help your kids learn the fundamentals of networking, promotion, time management, and creativity, which greatly helps when it comes to learning and pursuing a higher education.

Help them love the act of saving – Planning early will give you a head start on funding your child’s college education due in part to the fact you save over a longer period of time (earning interest) instead of footing the bill in a rapidly closing time frame. Most of the time people stress on saving for college, but what about saving once you get there? This student money saving guide by simplifiedissuelifeinsurance.com stresses the importance of saving money while in college to reduce the burden of student loans and credit card debt.

Introduce them to difficult subjects, early – There are many different free online college websites that offer a multitude of courses. These may be well out of the knowledge range for your children (and even you, at times) but introducing them to these difficult subjects earlier on could not only inspire them to pursue a career they love but could also give them an edge once they begin taking those classes on a college level.

The college system is rapidly evolving thanks to the aid of technology though there are still many barriers of entry, whether it’s the rising cost of college or, like in my situation, a lack of guidance. Be a shining light for your children. Inspire them and help them love a life of learning. Do you part to set the foundation for what will be their entry ways into higher institutions. Start early. Start now.

How to Talk To Your Daughter about College Funding and Responsibility

Talking Openly about College Expenses

Discussing Responsibilities and Expectations

Coming Up With Alternative College Plans

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