Searches360

My son has done really well throughout his academic career thus far, but as high school graduation looms closer and closer, he still has no idea how to choose a college that would be best for his future. In fact, he’s still not even sure where his academic or career interests lie, making a final decision nearly impossible to contemplate. He clearly needs help learning how to choose a college, so I’m going to step in and offer my advice.

For starters, I told him that a great way to learn how to choose a college was by finding out the different ways other people have approached the problem. Fortunately, there are plenty of good websites on the Internet that contain valuable insight from students and counselors alike. These sites can help prospective students set out preliminary criteria and develop a plan of action to find good schools. By simply spending an afternoon reading about how to choose a college online, my son now has a wealth of information at his fingertips and can begin evaluating his situation more intelligently.

In doing so, he soon realized that selecting a major was not necessarily the best first step in how to choose a college. That was good news, considering the fact that he did not have the slightest idea which studies he wanted to pursue. Instead, he focused on finding a university in a location that he would enjoy and that had a decent student-teacher ratio. After those two considerations, he looked at things like study abroad opportunities, quality of student life, extracurricular activities on campus, and graduation rates.

By researching how to choose a college online, my son also learned that it would be a good idea to apply to at least a couple of “safety schools” in addition to the more prestigious universities that he might want to attend. This would allow him to cover his bases while still reaching out for his dream school, and give him some peace of mind during the application process.

Continue Reading »

When kids are about three or four, they’re just beginning to develop their hand-eye coordination. You can provide them with something to do with those busy little fingers, as well as helping them use their imagination in creative ways, with some fascinating preschool craft ideas. Here are just five to get you started. Each of these easy and fun preschool craft ideas can be modified with variations, enough to keep the most inquisitive child busy with craft projects for months on end. Encourage the kids to offer their own suggestions on variations. You’ll be surprised at the many ideas they’ll come up with on their own.

Continue Reading »

Learning the scientific method and all of the basic science facts is important, but the best way for kids to learn has always been through doing. Science experiments are often neglected in schools, but when they are used for learning, a lot of good can come of them. A science experiment can not only teach young students about geology, biology, or whatever else they are working on, but can also help them to understand the scientific method, and inspire a love of learning. And a love of learning, after all, is the most valuable tool a student can have. Learning to be inquisitive is central to being a good student and a knowledgeable adult.

When I was in school, I absolutely loved doing science fair experiments. I know that that fact marks me as a nerd, but I do not care. I would drop everything for an interesting science experiment. Whether it was learning to make a glider in middle school or testing various compounds on bean plants in high school, it was all fascinating to me.

As a matter of fact, with all of the science projects that I did as a kid, I used to think that I would be a scientist when I grew up. My interests ended up taking me in a much different direction later in life, but I still have kept up with the main discoveries in the sciences. I love to go to science expositions and fairs, read Scientific American, and experiment with electronic circuits in my basement.

Continue Reading »

There are times when children have trouble with their thinking skills, and parents begin to wonder if they have a learning disability like ADHD. There are many parents and teachers who want to think the worst, and it might just be that the child does not have a good study environment. Some children need a little more help learning to focus than other children, and this does not mean they are not smart children. It just means they need a little less distraction when trying to concentrate.

In order for some children to make the most of their thinking skills, they need to have a place to do homework where the distractions are kept to a minimum. This might mean having a special time at home for all children (if there are more than one) to work on their homework. This means the child that needs help with thinking skills won’t worry about missing out on the fun, and they will be more willing to focus on what they are doing instead. If it is the same time each day, that also helps keep the distractions away. If their friends know they study right after school or right after dinner, they are less likely to pop by.

Continue Reading »