This is a guest post by Ashyia Hill. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

You’re proud of your child for wanting to attend college but scared of the financial burden.  It’s very common for parents to feel this way, especially with the rising cost of tuition. Fortunately, there are many methods for helping your high school student find money for college.  So if your child is repeatedly saying “I need money for college”, this article will discuss ten tips on answering the age-old question of how to get money for college.

1. Fill out your portion of the FAFSA before Valentine’s Day

If you stop reading this article right now, please let this be the one tip you follow! Filling out the parent portion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the single most important thing you can do to help your college-bound student find money for school.

Filling out a FAFSA will make your college-bound student eligible for many different types of financial aid, including subsidized loans, unsubsidized loans, federal work-study, grant money for college, and many types of scholarships, too.  Grants and college scholarships are considered free money for college since they do not have to be paid back.

Please note that filling out the FAFSA is completely free and does not commit you to pay a penny of your college-bound student’s expenses. It’s just a form that provides your child’s future school with the information they need to award aid. Your child can fill out the student portion on their own.

Let’s look at it from the other angle, too. If you don’t fill out the parent portion of the FAFSA, your child will be ineligible for most types of aid. Your child might be able to receive an unsubsidized Stafford loan, but only if you completely stop financially supporting your child and they can prove to the financial aid office that you refuse to file a FAFSA.

It’s not rare for colleges to adopt a first-come, first-served policy for some types of financial assistance, like federal work-study, so it’s best to fill out your portion of the FAFSA early. If your child wants to start college in the fall, you should make sure you do your part by completing your section early. Then, encourage your student to finish theirs and submit it before the 14^th of February.

2. Talk to your child’s guidance counselor about college scholarships

Many high schools receive scholarship filing guidelines and application forms directly from scholarship committees. Your child’s guidance counselor may know about scholarships you haven’t heard of yet.

So, make an appointment to drop by the school and ask them what’s available.

3. Contact prospective colleges about institutional scholarships and grant money for college

Many colleges offer college scholarships and grants just for their students. It doesn’t hurt to call, e-mail, or visit the colleges your child is interested in to ask what types of aid is available especially for their students.

If your college-bound student is accepted into several of their top choice schools, the availability of aid and scholarships at each one could help them narrow down the list.

4. Ask your employer if they offer college scholarships for children of employees

Yes, even in the age of cutbacks and layoffs, some companies still offer scholarships for children of employees.

Intel, for example, provides 1.4 million dollars worth of scholarship money to children of employees from 26 different locations around the world.

So, talk to your employer about possible scholarship opportunities for your college-bound student.

5. Look up what is available using a free scholarship search engine

Skip the pay-to-search websites and focus on the many free scholarship search engines instead. You just need to set up a profile for your college-bound student on each site and the search engine will find the scholarships that they are likely to qualify for.

You can start with the College Board’s regularly updated Scholarship Search. It’s available at College Board Scholarship Search and features more than 2,300 sources of funding.

6. Drive your college-bound student to drop off job applications and attend interviews

Working is still one of the best ways for young people to earn money for college. If your child doesn’t have a car yet, you can help by driving them to pick up applications, drop off applications, attend interviews, and get to work on time, at least until they can save up for their own ride.

If your college-bound student finds a job that they like close to campus, they can keep working there during the school year, too.

Some parents worry that working while in college could hurt their child’s grades, but a study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that the opposite is true. After collecting information on hundreds of undergraduate students from 1996 through 2004, they found that the average grade point average for university freshmen who worked between one and 20 hours per week was 3.13. Students who didn’t have jobs had GPAs averaging 3.04.

However, the study also found that freshmen who clocked in more than 20 hours per week had GPAs averaging 2.95, so full-time jobs are probably best left for summers and breaks.

Your college-bound student’s first job may just earn them minimum wage, but with tuition costs today, every little bit helps!

7. Carefully evaluate student credit cards

Establishing credit is an important part of adult life.  Consider student credit cards to help your child build credit.  While earning cash back on everyday spending is a plus, make sure your college-bound student understands financial responsibility and the importance of paying on time, on budget.

8. Apply for a Federal Parent PLUS Loan

If you have good credit, you could qualify for a Federal Parent PLUS Loan to help cover your student’s college expenses. These can be put toward paying for your kid’s school supplies, housing, tuition, and more.

However, keep in mind that this will be your loan, not your kid’s loan. It will be in your name and you will be responsible for paying it back.

According to student loan expert Heather Jarvis, Parent PLUS Loans can’t be repaid under Income-Based Repayment or Income-Contingent Repayment. Like regular student loans, they can haunt you for a long time if you aren’t careful.

9. Co-sign for a private student loan

If your student isn’t getting enough federal loans and grants to make ends meet, you could help them get a different type of aid by cosigning for a private student loan.

In this situation, both you and your college-bound student will be responsible for the loan. If your child doesn’t pay up, you will have to. Your credit score will probably take a hit if your child skips a payment or defaults on the loan.

Additionally, these loans are provided by banks and companies to earn a profit, so they tend to have higher interest rates than federal loans.

So, it’s best to only think of cosigning for a private student loan as a back-up plan if none of the above tips are enough for your child to cover their college expenses. Make sure your child borrows only what they need and keeps applying for traditional forms of aid.

10. Be sure to file taxes each year, even if your income is low.

If your student, who is under 24 years of age, continues to live with you and rely on you for financial support while attending school full-time, you can keep claiming them as a dependent when you file taxes. This could make you eligible to receive free tax credits.

One of these tax credits is the Lifetime Learning Credit, which is designed to help with college expenses for taxpayers and their dependents. You could receive a tax credit worth 20% of the tuition and college-related costs you incurred for your child, up to $2,000!

So, even if your income is low, it’s worth it to file your taxes every year.

We hope these ten tips for helping your college-bound student find money for college will be useful to you and your child. It is even better when that money is free money for college.  Obviously, some of these strategies involve more direct involvement than others. As always, think about your situation carefully before taking on any financial responsibilities.

If you feel discouraged, remember that funding your child’s education is a way of investing for the future. As with any investment, there is some risk involved. Risk is the price we all pay for opportunity.

This guest article was written by Ashyia Hill who is a freelance writer.

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This is a guest post by Ryan Rivera. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

Parents tend to struggle the most when it comes to a child leaving for college. You raised your child for roughly 18 years, from the day they were born until they graduated from high school, and now you have to let them go and start a real life for themselves. It’s easy to see why parents are in such dire need of support throughout this transition period and dealing with college separation anxiety after they have left the house.

But it’s not the parents alone that are nervous. Your child is also starting a new life for themselves, and when they leave for college they are bound to feel anxious and alone in ways they had not experienced before.  Dealing with anxiety, during this challenging time, is tough for both parent and child.

Leaving the Home

For most college students the realization that they’re on their own is more gradual. While parents often experience the fears and sadness the moment the child leaves, college students often start out feeling excited – believing that they’re ready for the road ahead. Then, over time, the reality of their situation starts to take effect. They’re independent now, and they don’t have you to fall back on – at least not like they used to.

As parents, you need to find a way to prepare your child for the anxiety they are bound to face when they leave your home. Your child’s college life depends on their ability to overcome any stress and focus their attention on their classes and social life. Here is a small example of the advice that you should give your child before and after they’re off to school.

College Student Advice

• Start Strong

The most stress your child is ever likely to experience in college will come during their first quarter/semester when they’re surrounded by new people and challenged by their classes. College isn’t like high school, and your child needs to spend the beginning of college focusing entirely on what they need to accomplish, so that they are not spending all their time trying to catch up during their remaining 3 ½ years.

This includes how they adjust socially. Many of the best college friendships are going to start that first quarter. The more your son or daughter is able to socialize with people during those first few months, the better their overall adjustment to college will be.

• Learn Study Skills

Much like starting strong, your child should take the time to learn the study skills that work best for them. Once again, college tests and work are much different than high school homework. What worked in the past may not work with their new education. So if they focus their attention on learning to find the study style that works best for them now, they’ll have an easier time later.

As a parent it may be hard to convince your child to learn study skills and try hard in the beginning, but if you help them understand that they’ll be able to relax more later if they do as much as they can now, they may be more receptive to the idea.

• Join Clubs/Work

Much of the anxiety students get is the feeling of being alone. Dorms are no guarantee that they are going to meet interesting people. But if they join clubs or find a job on campus or look for some other way to occupy their down time, they’ll meet a lot of different people and either enjoy fun activities or earn money in the process – both of which should reduce their overall anxiety. Be proactive in showing your child what they can do on campus and urge them to take advantage of it.

• Exercise

If your child was not already exercising regularly, now is easily the best time to start. There is a lot of social pressure to look your best and be as healthy as possible, and exercising can certainly help that. But exercise will also help your child sleep and give them something to do every week. It’s a great way to reduce the effects of generalized anxiety disorder and stress, in addition to its social benefits. If the school doesn’t have a gym, consider paying for a gym membership yourself so that your child doesn’t have to be concerned over their own budget.

• Reassure Them You’re Still There

Your child may not appreciate it now. They may even roll their eyes and give you a fake smile. But if you can successfully reassure your child that you’re there for whatever they need, you can be certain it will have a lasting impression once the reality of their situation starts to kick in. It may also help you feel better too.

Helping Your Child’s Anxiety

If the anxiety gets worse, supporting your child’s treatment choices and finding them effective solutions for dealing with anxiety is another important part of helping them adjust to college life. But if you give them the right tools and provide them with your words of encouraging wisdom before they leave to their dorm room, you’ll find that they adjust better to college and experience less anxiety throughout their four years.

About the Author: Ryan Rivera remembers the anxiety he experienced when he went off to college, and he shares his thoughts on anxiety at CalmClinic.com.

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Yesterday my wife and I took our eldest daughter to the airport to study abroad for a semester in Ireland.  She is now a junior in college and it was almost exactly two years ago that I wrote this post about leaving her off at college for the first time and the separation anxiety we felt.  I must admit, that was a much tougher experience for me than this one.  Granted, this time we cannot just drive two hours up to see her at college if she is sick or needs us to be there for some reason or another.

There was the time in her freshman year that she had a case of head lice.  I’m sure you have probably heard about this in grade school but it is also prevalent in college.  My wife was able to head up there as soon as she found out about it.  In two hours she was able to pick up the medication needed to shampoo my daughter’s hair and headed over to the dorm. After the application my daughter felt so much better and my wife was able to come home in the afternoon.  She went back up the following week for another application and that took care of the problem.  Being close enough to get to the college easily should be a consideration for any parent.

Then there was the time we thought she might have had the H1N1 Virus, also when she was a freshman.  I remember a lot of parents were concerned about this virus during Accepted Students Day before she even started her classes. Many questions were asked to the college President and Dean of Student Affairs about how the college planned on dealing with this potential epidemic. My daughter knew that if a student came down with this virus they would have to be quarantined and separated from the rest of the students.

What this ultimately meant to her was that this could adversely affect her getting up to speed in her classes.  If there is anything my daughter gets concerned about it is falling behind in her class studies, especially the first semester of her freshman year!  She was in tears on the phone with us so my wife headed up to the college that morning, took her to the clinic on campus, and we found out that she did not have the virus.  This was a load off of our daughter’s mind as well as ours.

A little scare at the baggage check-in counter

Yesterday, as we were at the airport to see her off we were checking her in at the gate.  The US Air employee, Fred, asked her a few questions before checking her bag.

“Do you have a return ticket?”

My daughter replied “Not yet“.

Then Fred looked at her and said “I can’t let you go then.” We thought he was joking.

My daughter asked “Seriously?”

He said “You need to have a return ticket before you can fly to another country.  The State Department came out with a statement in the last few days indicating this was the case.”

So my daughter asked “Can I log onto my computer and order the ticket now?”

He said “Sure.”

He left to help another customer and told us he would be back once the ticket was ordered. Due to the fact that Logan Airport in Boston has free wireless internet, my daughter was able to log in, order a return ticket from Dublin

to Boston for late December, and acquire the record locator number which was what the US Air employee needed.  Within 15 minutes her bag was checked in and we were off for a quick bite for lunch before she entered security.

After having a quick lunch, my wife, youngest daughter, and I waited in the hallway of the airport and watched silently as my eldest waited in a fairly short security line and eventually passed through the scanner.  After she put on her shoes, belt, and gathered up her backpack and carry-on, she waved back to us and smiled before she headed off on an adventure of a lifetime.  When she turned her back and headed off into that terminal all by herself, we knew that another chapter in our daughter’s life, and ours, was just beginning.

I then looked into my wife’s eyes and she looked into mine.  They were moist with tears, as were mine.  Here was our eldest leaving for four months for another country, not two hours away, but a 6 hour flight away. I must admit, it was easier than leaving her off for college for the first time two years ago, but it was still very, very tough…

Lianna unCorked, the blog

If you’d like to keep abreast of Lianna’s study abroad adventure in Cork, Ireland, you can do so by visiting her blog called Lianna unCorked. She will be posting pictures and posts from her experiences in Ireland. She welcomes any and all comments!

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This is a guest post by Susan. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

The years spent in higher education are widely referred to as some of the best years of one’s life. However, the [cw4]simple fact of the matter is that stress constantly rears its ugly head during the course of the college years. Of course, there will always be those who breeze through the whole process with a fly-by-night attitude, or perhaps even give up their pursuits halfway through. But for those who actually care about grades and the future, there is truly no such thing as a stress-free student life.  Although human nature would have us believe otherwise, stress can be managed.  How to deal with anxiety is something a student should work at regularly and religiously.  There are a few simple, though highly important tips, that any student can follow to keep anxiety at bay. By utilizing and implementing the tips laid out below, college life should end up being a much more satisfying and enjoyable experience.

Manage Diet and Exercise Regularly

Diet and exercise can play very important roles in the management of stress.  Sugary foods and caffeinated drinks will lead to highs and lows, neither of which is beneficial to the studying process. Cereals, vegetables, fruits, and protein are ideal foods to supply natural energy to the body avoiding the fluctuations in energy levels. In addition to a healthy diet, a brief regular exercise routine will help reduce stress levels and improve your overall outlook on life.

Avoid Possible Catalysts

This can sometimes involve a little ruthlessness, but if a friend, regardless of how close they are, is prone to becoming enormously stressed and panicked and spends more time complaining, that should be a red flag. The only thing that can be gained by being around such a person is further doubt and worry…so stay clear of toxic friends!

The Power of No

Saying no can be a skill that takes a lifetime to master. There always seems to be a once-in-a-lifetime party or event happening that simply cannot be missed.  The problem arises when a single party spills over into several days that could have been used more wisely. By no means should you become a shut-in, but you must have your priorities in order.  Saying no, especially when the alternative could adversely affect your grades, is a tip that all students should take to heart.

Never Skip Breaks

Even during the high studying times right before midterms or finals, it is important to take some well-timed breaks.  Even if it’s just 10 minutes per hour that you get away and rest your eyes from your notes and books, it will make a world of difference.  If you are trained in meditation this would be the perfect opportunity to release some tension so that you will be refreshed for the final studying push.

Positive Visualization

Students at times can think of the worst-case scenario.  What if I don’t pass this exam?  What if I don’t pass this course?  What if I never graduate? Visualization can be an extremely powerful practice.  If you see yourself succeeding in your courses and in your student life, chances are your actions will follow these positive thoughts.  Even after your student life is over, positive visualization is an excellent practice in post-graduate endeavors.

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

When approaching an exam or testing situation, should haves and could haves are entirely pointless. The study period is over and what has been learned has been learned. As such, if the study time has been used sensibly and wisely, there is nothing better than a self-administered pat on the back to boost confidence. Of course, anybody can nit-pick and say they could obviously have crammed more in by studying 24 hours a day for the past six weeks, but this really isn’t realistic by anyone’s standards. Always give maximum credit for what has been done and ignore what has not been done – as there’s nothing that can be done about it now anyway!

Hopefully these tips on how to deal with anxiety at college will help those of you who are either about to embark on this adventure or are fully entrenched in the college scene.

This article was contributed by Susan who is an amateur interior designer and freelance writer, with other interests lying in photography and dancing. When she’s not juggling her various hobbies, she enjoys kicking back with a DVD in her leather sleeper sofa.

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This is a guest post by Barbara Jolie. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

There are many aspects of college that are challenging for any young student to cope with. Not only is this typically the first time young students live away from home and family, it is also the first time that students have to manage a college curriculum, share a room with a complete stranger, and generally perform adult-like discipline on themselves. Adding to the stress of new college life, many eighteen year olds attend college leaving behind their high school sweethearts. With college already being a period of massive change and adjustment, throwing a long distance relationship in the mix can seem nearly impossible. While long distance relationships are no doubt difficult and stressful, all too often LDRs get a bad rep. Whether you are a college student attending a different school than your sweetheart or you and your significant other attend the same school and have to spend holidays and breaks apart, maintaining a long distance relationship is a challenge that takes a little extra effort to overcome. To help maintain a

healthy and happy relationship with your long distance SO try these three tips.

1. Make Plans

While this may sound a little too “serious” for many college students, if you are really hoping to make your long distance relationship last then you have to think about the future of your relationship. This is not to say that you should run out and buy an engagement ring, rather talk about your immediate future and establish a common goal that you and your significant other can aim towards. By establishing a basic plan and end point to the long distance situation, you and your SO are sure to be on the same page and can have something to look forward to. Obviously, individuals who are in healthy long distance relationships wish to at some point end the distance and be close to one another again. Talk with your SO and find a common goal be it moving close to one another after college, going abroad together for a semester of school, living together during a summer break, or whatever it may be. Communicating with one another in this way will foster a healthy line of communication.

2. Establish Trust

One of the biggest challenges in long distance relationships is establishing and maintaining trust in one another. With distance between two lovers, it can be especially tricky to remain confident in your status with your loved one. Oftentimes, couples will doubt one another because they can’t see exactly what the other is doing. Of course, this doubt typically stems from a lack of confidence in oneself and in the relationship. This is where solid communication is truly key. Explain your insecurities to your SO, so that they can reassure you about them. A lack of trust in a relationship can be toxic. For your relationship to survive the distance you have to have confidence and trust that it can. In long distance relationships, trust includes more than simply trusting your SO to be faithful. Part of trust in a long distance situation includes being dependable. Make plans to talk to one another or see each other and stick to them. Create a relationship based on trust and reliability.

3. Enjoy Your Time Apart

In this sense, long distance relationships can have the advantage over traditional relationships. A huge part of a successful relationship is being comfortable and capable apart from one another. Independence and self reliability is essential within any relationship (but especially long distance relationships). Keep yourself busy and find outside

outlets. Because long distance relationships essentially revolve around impersonal communication, it can be easy to make a habit of staring at your how or checking your email inbox every other minute. Rather than fall into this cycle of disappointment, keep yourself occupied and distracted. In order to truly grow in college, you have to reach beyond your comfort zone. Don’t let long distance blues get in the way of having an amazing and enriching experience at school. Also, by occupying yourself and discovering new interests, you will find more things to talk about with your long distance SO. Codependency in a relationship can be difficult to combat. However, some level of independence is essential for maintaining a healthy and stable relationship.

This guest post is contributed by Barbara Jolie, who writes for online classes. She contributes articles about a variety of topics relating to education, leadership, student life, college, music, and artists. If you’d like to contact Barbara please use the Contact Me page and her email address will be forwarded to you.

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This is a guest post by Melissa Crossman. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

[cw4]Being accepted to college and starting on a career path can be one of the most exciting times in a person’s life. Backpack full of books and freshly-printed schedule in hand, the world and all its possibilities unfold. Though new and exciting, a degree program has to complement a student’s needs, whether s/he is pursuing an associate degree in nursing or transferring credits to begin working on a bachelor’s. Much like a new outfit, the program simply has to be the right fit.

Every degree program comes with its highs and lows, from finding a mentor in a professor to slogging through a required but less-than-pleasant course. Students should be aware of issues that might truly impede their progress, such as a lack of available courses to complete a degree or an academic advisor who never returns emails. Perhaps the problem is simply that the program is different than it was advertised; even a few ‘surprise’ requirements can delay graduation by a year or more. What may not be a big deal to a freshman just beginning his/her academic journey can be crucial to a junior or senior whose academic future is based on a set graduation date.

Entirely possible, especially given the current economic climate, is the chance that a student can no longer afford to pay tuition. Scholarships and grants provide a great boost, but aren’t always available or awarded. Financial aid, based on a student’s need, might only cover a portion of classes or not be disbursed at all if the parents’ income exceeds a fixed limit. Students, who are likely already pursuing some type of employment, might consider potentially cheaper options, such as pursuing an online degree or attending a community college. While attending school full-time is quicker, forging an alternative path might be necessary.

Years spent in school are bound to change a student’s worldview. It’s entirely possible – and even probable – for a learner to change his/her academic direction, from declaring a minor to changing their major entirely. For any number of reasons, a student who always wanted to be a doctor may realize they would rather pursue a career in nursing. What sounded good as a freshman, such as attaining a Master’s degree or Ph.D. following graduation, may no longer be appealing. When preparing to make a move from one’s degree program, it’s important to be flexible. What seemed set in stone a month or a year prior may no longer apply.

As the saying goes, the world is one’s oyster. If one opportunity doesn’t work out, try on another. There’s no sense in continuing to pursue a degree that feels wrong or is no longer interesting. Regardless of whether one’s academic courses are different than described or the academic climate too tough to weather, it is both acceptable and necessary to travel in a different direction. Paramount to success in college – and life – is accepting that things can and will change, often for good reason.

This guest contribution was submitted by Melissa Crossman, a recent college grad who enjoys cooking, traveling, and playing sports. She is relatively new to the blogging world and writes tips for current college students, college graduates, and jobseekers..

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This is a guest post by Pamelia Brown. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

Parents warn their children of the heartache that can come with being in a relationship and eventually ending romantic relationships, but rarely do they touch on how to get over a break up with a best friend which is something that happens quite frequently in college. Why? In short, college is a self-discovery experience where students grow and change. Some grow and change so much that they no longer see eye-to-eye with their bestie and the friendship disintegrates, sometimes through a natural falling out, other times via a heated argument.

While some understand that this is just a part of life and friends come and go, others don’t take friendship breakups so lightly, especially with those that they’ve known since childhood. In fact, some find friendship breakups even more painful than ending it with a boyfriend or girlfriend. But it’s important that you don’t let the distress of being dumped by a friend affect your studies, your health or job responsibilities, if you are employed. Instead, follow the tips listed below to learn how to get over a break up more gracefully.

Communicate

If you and your best friend are no longer speaking due to an argument and you still want to preserve the friendship, it’s important that you act like an adult and talk it through. Take a few days to cool off if need be but do try to resolve the issue, especially if you are in the wrong. Apologize and see if you can move past the issue and continue being friends.

Be Mature

If you are not in the wrong, it’s equally important that you are not immature and block your friend’s number so they can’t contact you. On a similar note, don’t “blast” your friend on Facebook, post “subliminal” tweets (indirect snarky comments) or delete them entirely from your social networking site(s) right away. While this type of behavior is generally a defensive mechanism practiced by younger people, know that this type of impulsive reaction will just make the situation worse. If after talking it through and either one of you decides the friendship is over, then you may proceed with deleting them from social networking sites if you choose to do so, but not until after a talk has been completed.

Appreciate other Friends

If you are extremely hurt by the friendship fall out, it’s important that you remind yourself about all the other great

friends that you have in your life: the ones who still want to have a relationship with you. No longer being friends with someone who you once considered a best friend can be tough, but don’t get caught up and neglect the other great friends you have. Always remember you can also turn to your family for emotional support and comfort as well.

Keep Busy

Lastly, keep yourself busy. An excellent way to speed up the healing process is to indulge in activities that you find enjoyable or by simply studying more. Schoolwork might be the last thing on your mind but reading and studying can actually serve as a temporary escape. When your mind is focused on something else, such as schoolwork, you have less time to worry about that “friend” you lost. If you follow the advice listed here it should help you learn how to get over a break up with a friend in college.

This guest contribution was submitted by Pamelia Brown, who specializes in writing about the associates degree.

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[cw4]It’s graduation season which can only mean one thing—it’s time to put your hard earned degree to good use and start that new job. But starting a typical 9 to 5 is a rude awakening for graduates who are used to spontaneous late-night partying with friends, accustomed to starting their days at noon and for those who feel uncomfortable sitting in a chair for long extended periods of time. So what if soon after starting your new career you realize it’s not exactly what you envisioned? What if you find those 8-hour work days just simply unbearable? Well you wouldn’t be alone. In fact, according to statistics, about 80 percent of Americans actually hate their jobs.  But while most of the surveyed people have been in the work force for several years, you are just starting. And what you may think is “hate” may actually be feelings of unhappiness due to unfamiliarity and solitude. In other words, you need to give your new job a chance and learn how to adapt. To learn how to do so, continue reading below.

Befriend co-workers

First and foremost you want to get to know your co-workers, especially if you had to relocate for your job and were forced to leave your friends and family behind. There is nothing worse than feeling truly alone in an unfamiliar city and your co-workers will be able to provide some sort of anchor, at least in the workplace. They may even be able to show you around the city or introduce you to some people that may become your friends later on. You don’t necessarily want to get carried away in a relationship with them but being friends will make a huge difference in your outlook at work. They can also make your work day go by a lot smoother since you can take small breaks and engage in social hour. Most importantly you can turn to your coworkers for help—after all you’re still a newbie and will need to learn the ropes as quickly as possible. Your co-workers will also be the ones to give you praise whenever you do good work—that feeling of appreciation alone is enough to inspire you to continue with your line of work.

So while it might feel a little awkward, especially if you are employed somewhere that generally hires older people, try to do your best to get to know your co-workers. This can mean anything from accompanying them to lunch to attending a few happy hours.

Enjoy your lunch break and move around

In the beginning most new employees are so overwhelmed with their new workload that they may forget to eat. Others may choose to eat at their desks so that they can simultaneously work on assignments. This is a sure fire way to quickly burn yourself out make you detest going to work each morning. Your break is given to you so that you can temporarily pull yourself away and give your mind a quick rest. So take time to actually enjoy your full lunch break and eat to prevent you from going stir crazy—and you want to make sure you eat a good meal too. All too often employees become exceptionally moody and irritable because they don’t eat properly.

Even if you bring your lunch from home, get up and walk around to get the blood and oxygen moving through your system. An excellent idea might be to get some sun and eat outside even. This is because research shows that sunlight can help battle depression, which in turn can make you be in a more pleasant mood and enjoy your work day better.

Break monotony

Recent graduates complain all too often that the typical 9 to 5 job is boring. Well it becomes an even more unbearable nightmare if they get stuck in a stagnant routine: get up, go to work, come home, sleep, get up, go to work, come home, and sleep. But even varying up the slightest things can bring excitement and enjoyment to the day. For example, take a different route to work every other day, try something exciting for lunch, go to the gym, or plan something eventful with friends after work so you have something to look forward to.  Whatever you do, try to break any monotony.

Find the Root of Unhappiness

Lastly, while you may not be too fond of your current employment situation, it’s always good to first remind yourself that at least you have a job. There are thousands of college graduates who struggle with finding employment and you were lucky enough to get hired right out of school. If you are unhappy because the pay is low, then try to find the upsides of your job. For example, do you have great benefits? Are the bosses laid back? If you are unhappy because you are bored with your tasks and do not find them challenging enough, then speak up and ask for more work. If you feel as though you might be better suited for a different department, then talk to your boss about it and see if something can be worked out.  Whatever the case, locating the true reason you are unhappy in the workplace will make it all that much easier to find a solution to resolve it.

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at online college about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, and movie related topics.

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This is a guest post by Donna Reish. If you want to guest post on this blog, click here to get more information.

[cw4]There are plenty of people who are ready to challenge me on this point already. I know, I know money is everything. Entering the real world with a degree in French Literature or Medieval History, even if it’s from your first choice college, isn’t going to get you a six figure job offer right off the bat (in all likelihood). Sure, I get this. With a degree in English Literature and Rhetoric, maybe I come from a skewed perspective. However, I think this is a point worth considering.

Find your Passion

College should be about discovering what it is you are passionate about. You should use college as an opportunity to explore all different curricula. Take science classes, take math classes, study the feudal systems of Early Modern Europe, and explore the creatures that live in the depths of the oceans. Don’t limit yourself based on a desired projection for future earnings. Doing something you are passionate about will lead you to a successful career.

Don’t make earning power your #1 motivation

I completely understand choosing a college major at your first choice college based on its potential for earning money in the professional world. College is a time when you start to think about the future in terms of dollar signs and bank loans. You can no longer rely on the false financial freedom your parents once provided you. I am not writing this to convince you that an English major studying to become a fourth grade teacher is going to make more money than a biology major studying to become a doctor. More so, I’m here to say that you will likely earn more money pursuing a career that you enjoy. All too often, young students enter science and business classes because they think that doctors and CEOs make more money. While this is undoubtedly true in some cases, rich doctors and businessmen are successful because they are passionate about their work. Spending four years in college pursuing a degree that you don’t find interesting is only going to hold you back.

The money will follow the passion

People often fail to realize that disliking their job can hinder the amount of money they make. This equation works in much the same way when discussing college majors. If you like what you are studying, you are more inclined to perform at a higher level. Let’s look at this in two different (but similar) scenarios. In college, if you are working towards a degree you do not find interesting, you will likely not be inspired to try your hardest or perform your very best. This means that your grades may suffer because you are simply not interested in what you are doing. If you’re grades suffer, then so too does your potential for landing the dream job (and salary) you are striving for. In the professional realm, if you dislike the job you are performing each day, you are less likely to perform to the best of your ability. This means that you are less likely to be promoted and less likely to earn the amount of money you should or could.

The key to success in any sector of life is passion. You have to be passionate about your goals in order to truly excel at them. Unfortunately, being passionate about money alone is not enough. You have to enjoy what you are doing in order to do it well. Use college as an opportunity to discover what it is that truly inspires you. Once you find something that you truly care about, you will find a way to build it into the wealthy career you desire.

Donna Reish, a freelancer who blogs about best universities, contributed this guest post. She loves to write education, career, frugal living, finance, health, and parenting related articles.

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Doesn’t this place look inviting? Are these pictures from an ocean-edge resort, Newport castle, or oceanfront wedding reception center? Nope on all three counts. It’s a college. Yes, a college!
It’s called the College of the Atlantic and if you are looking for a unique experience for your four years at college you may want to take the college tour and who knows, it may become your first choice college.

We arrived a little early on a cloudy afternoon in late April and decided to drive around the campus just to get the lay of the land before our tour. From viewing the college website we had a good idea of what the college looked like but until you get there you don’t really have a feel for the place. The College of the Atlantic is situated on Mount Desert Island in Maine just outside of the town of Bar Harbor. The college is so close that students can easily walk there by road or by a sandbar during low tide. How cool is that?

At just before 2:00 we arrived at the Admissions building only to be met by our private tour guide, Renee, who presented each of us with an packet of material about the college. There was also a personalized note to my daughter in the packet on college stationery welcoming her to the college. What a refreshing change from the mass of prospective students stuffed into a small room for an information session that you find at the popular colleges. We sat for a bit in the Admissions building getting to know each other before we were off on our tour.

Even though the weather was overcast, the surroundings were spectacular. We were brought into a number of the buildings where we witnessed small classes in session. The student to instructor ratio is 11:1 which tells you right off the bat that the relationships between student and instructor tend to be close-knit and personal. Our tour guide stated that everyone knows everyone which is due to the fact that the current student body amounts to only 350 students.

The college advertises only one major called Human Ecology but, at the same time, students can design their own major based on the diverse course offering. A course list is shown on their website and some of the courses offered are Marine Biology, Agroecology, Documentary Video Studio, Agriculture and Biotechnology, etc. We were taken through a working greenhouse and anyone who is interested in botany could take classes that were associated with how to start a garden and run a greenhouse. If you are interested in pottery there is a ceramics and pottery studio on campus. If you are interested in zoology or even taxidermy there is a lab which will allow you to learn this art on animals that have died of natural or accidental causes. There is also a lab with live reptiles.

One rather novel aspect of the college is that there is a large outside pellet stove which heats the newer dorms which boast radiant floor heating for those cold winter Maine days and nights. During the winter there is a social event called Fireside Fridays where students meet on Friday nights in a beautiful student center with a fireplace and cafe overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The school owns two boats, one of which is called the Indigo which allows students to learn about piloting a boat on the Atlantic. The college is right around the corner from Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park which is a spectacular venue for hikers, bikers, and sightseers.

As you can imagine, this college is not for everyone and should be experienced before a prospective student can fully appreciate what it has to offer. Before you decide that the College of the Atlantic is not for you, take a college tour. It may be too different for you but, then again, it may end up being your first choice college. The admission process was described to us as self-selecting by an Admissions Counselor who admitted that prospective students are unique and make a choice by deciding to attend the college. You just might find that this type of college education and environment may be one in which you will grow and flourish in your first four years away from home.

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