college Archives - Serendipity Mommy

5 Extra-Curricular Events All College Students Should Experience

September 25, 2019 by Mandy

So much of the college experience happens outside of the classroom. Though it’s obviously important to be prepared to study hard while at university, commitment to academics shouldn’t stop you from enjoying all that college life has to offer. Indeed, spending all of your time in class, in the library, or in your dorm room is tantamount to a massive missed opportunity. To that end, today we’re going to share five extra-curricular events that all college students should attend at least once. Check them out here:

College Theatre

Some colleges are home to wonderful auditoriums and theaters. And many college students who study theatre are immensely talented. Indeed, they may even rehearse a role for an entire semester before they perform it live. Given that fact, you should make it a point to check out at least one student-performed play while in college. Trust us, you won’t regret it.

Art Galleries

Sticking with the theme of high culture for a moment, there are few better ways to spend a free afternoon on campus than by checking out a student-run art gallery. Who knows, you may even come across the early work of a burgeoning famous artist there!

Frisbee and Hacky Sack

Cliched? Sure, but playing frisbee or hacky sack with a couple of close friends on the quad of an idyllic university can be a blast. Tick this box if just for the goofy photo opportunities.

Sporting Events

College athletics is a massive industry that attracts visitors and fans from around the country. In fact, many colleges hire companies like OTW Safety to provide them with barricades for crowd management and traffic control on game days. Not only do sporting events give students the chance to unwind for a few hours, but there are few expressions of school pride more meaningful than sporting traditions. And there’s nothing better than beating that big rival from across the state in a football game!

House Party

Many people meet their best friends in college. Of course, a big part of making friends is going to parties. It’s worth remembering that college party culture does have a dark side, though. So never engage in any illegal activities, behave responsibly, and always look after your well-being and the well-being of others first and foremost. College life is about having fun and meeting new people, but you shouldn’t risk your health or others’ just to fit in.

Conclusion

Believe it or not, it is possible to soak up everything college has to offer while maintaining a high GPA. Go out and seize the day because those four years are sure to fly by faster than you realize.

Jack Elway Provides Top College Football Recruiting Tips

July 27, 2018 by Mandy

When the football season starts, a new class of high school players, often just freshmen or sophomores, start to dream about obtaining glory and fame through their sport. Once they become juniors and seniors, they hope to have attracted the coaches of some of the bigger college football programs. If they make it to the top, taking part in the recruitment process, according to Jack Elway, is a lot of fun and also incredibly exciting. However, not everybody manages to reach the top position. Yet, they still have the opportunity to join a college football team. Do and so does mean that they must work even harder in order to grab the attention of a coach. And there are lots of activities that a young person can take part in in order to get that attention.

Jack Elway’s Top Tips for College Football

There are two main ways in which high school football players can attract the attention of a college coach. Firstly, they should look at the college football teams’ rosters in order to spot what type of players they need and whether that happens to be the position the young person plays in. College football teams all have official website and they list the members of their team. Furthermore, they include important information such as their classification, weight, height, and position. This means that, by researching what is already there, it is possible to determine whether there might be a need for someone else. If a young person find starts they may be of interest to a college, they can then send a letter to that college to express their interest period this letter should include all contact details, but also information such as speed, weight, and height, as well as any recognitions and awards they have received and any other information that may be of importance.

The second method is to work as hard as possible in high school, both on the athletic field and in the classroom. It is important to be able to demonstrate that you can play well and hard in a consistent manner, which will impress not just the coaches of the team you would like to join but also those of the opposing teams. While the competition may seem fierce, they do actually work for you because recruiters will speak to high school coaches regularly and they may still mention your name.

The best way to get into a college football team if you have not been scouted as by combining the above two methods. It is about getting your name out there and showing colleges and coaches that you are a force to be reckoned with. You need to dare to grab the bull by the horns and tell the world about you. That is not arrogance but rather confidence in your own skills. Doing so greatly increases your chances of being noticed, which means you increase your chances of getting that coveted place on a college football team as well.

How To Get Student Loans With Bad Credit: Guide & Tips

May 2, 2018 by Mandy

Don’t let your bad credit stop you from following your dreams! Read this guide and learn tips on how to get students loans with bad credit now!

Typically, your ability to get a loan or a credit card is reliant on your credit score. This score, determined by FICO and crediting agencies, is your ticket in. The average credit score among Americans is 687, so if you have a score at or above that, you’re in pretty decent shape.

When it comes to getting student loans though, none of this matters. Currently, 40 million Americans have student loans, and 70% of bachelor’s degree recipients graduate with student loan debt.

Clearly, not all of this people had above-average credit, and yet they were still able to get student loans. You can follow suit.

Below, we’ll show you how to get student loans with bad credit.

How To Get Student Loans With Bad Credit

When it comes to student loans, there are two routes you can take, separately or simultaneously: the private route, and the public route.

The private route can be incredibly difficult to traverse, while the public route is a piece of cake.

But nevertheless, we’ll take you through both options.

The Private Route

Obtaining a loan from a private institution, like any bank, always requires that you have good credit. This is an issue for most college-aged students because their credit is either nonexistent or poor.

This is often the case because one of FICO’s biggest determinants when giving you a credit score is credit history. At 18 years old, you likely haven’t had very much credit history at all. In order to show that you’re responsible enough to be loaned money, you have to have a track record of responsibility, to begin with. It’s a bit of a catch-22.

If you’re 18 and you do have a credit card, the account is likely too young to give you a good credit score. Either that or you’ve been bad at paying off your balances. Let’s face it: High schoolers are not the most responsible demographic.

All that said, there is still something you can do.

Get a Cosigner

This is really how to get student loans with bad credit in the private sector. Much like a car lease or an apartment rental application, getting a cosigner can turn that “no” to a “yes” on your student loan application.

In order for this to work, though, your cosigner should have a long, strong credit history with, ideally, a credit score well above 700. This cosigner is ultimately responsible for the debt owed to the bank if you become unable to pay it.

The best place to start looking cosigner is your family. Ask your mom or dad for help on this issues, and they’ll likely oblige. If they’re good at managing your family’s finances, they should be in good shape credit-wise.

Getting a cosigner is typically the only way most private lenders will give out student loans.

There are some banks that will hand out student loans to people with bad credit, but these lenders are typically predatory, tucking obscene hidden interest rates into their loan offers. You should avoid them at all costs.

The Public Route

If you don’t know how to get student loans with bad credit, your first and best option should be to hit up Uncle Sam for some cash. The federal government gives out student loans to anyone, regardless of their credit scores.

Most of the time, they don’t even run a credit check at all. The other benefit is that the government is less profit-concerned so their interest rates are less steep and more friendly to college students.

There are also several different types of loans you can apply for through the government’s free application process.

Direct Subsidized Loans

These government loans, sometimes called Stafford loans, are fixed-rate loans. Depending on your year in school, you can borrow up to 3,500, 4,500, or 5,500 dollars each year.

The biggest benefit to these loans is that, if you defer payment on them while you’re in school, the government will eat the cost of the interest rates. The interest rate also isn’t very high to begin with, at just 3.76%.

Direct Unsubsidized Loans

Every potential student qualifies for these loans regardless of financial need or your parents’ income. The only qualification is that you are a dependent student, meaning you’re under 24 years old, aren’t married, and aren’t a veteran.

Depending on your year in school, you can borrow up to 5,500-7,500 dollars each year. The only difference between these loans and subsidized loans is that you’re responsible for the paying the interest. The government won’t help you out there.

Perkins Loans

This type of loan is only for those with dire financial needs. Also, these loans are funded primarily by participating colleges, not the federal government. So, you’ll want to check with your school’s financial aid office.

If your school does participate in this program, you can borrow up to 5,500 dollars per year regardless of your year in school. The interest rates on these loans are also a little higher at 5%.

Direct PLUS Loans

These loans are for either graduate students or parents who want to borrow money to pay off their children’s tuition. These loans have the highest interest rates of all among federal loans at 6.31%.

Because of this, it would be worth seeking out your private options to see if you can get a better offer. If you have nonexistent credit, though, this is a good option to turn to.

The Bottom Line

The general wisdom is that you should first apply for all of the available federal student loans you can. Only then should you turn to private institutions.

Of course, the reality is that you’re probably going to a need a loan cocktail with many ingredients to pay your college tuition. The cost of tuition is skyrocketing. A meager $5,500 loan may not even put a dent in the cost of your college education.

This is especially true if you’re going out of state or to a private Ivy League college. But fear not, you’ll be able to find some financial aid in some capacity.

Hopefully, this post gave you some ideas on how to get student loans with bad credit. If you need any more financial advice, be sure to check out the finance section of our site.

What Do You Learn in Audio Engineering College Courses?

October 6, 2017 by Mandy

Today, you can complete a lot of audio engineering college courses, all of which are designed to prepare students to take on entry-level positions in the field of audio production. Today’s technology is all digital and this means that good courses also focus on digital work. Added to this is the fact that audio technology constantly develops, and courses must reflect those changes and stay current and up to date.

If you want to become an audio professional, you really have to come to understand what digital audio technology (DAT) is. This is because DAT goes beyond audio production only. It focuses on every element of entertainment, which is an industry that simply cannot survive without sound anymore. The days of silent movies are, thankfully, far behind us after all! Audio engineering colleges are there to make sure that you, as a graduate, have all the skills and knowledge required to make a difference in this industry.

What Will You Learn During Audio Engineering College Courses?

Exactly which courses you will do and what you will learn, depends on the school you go to. However, they will all focus on teaching you all the various principles and disciplines of audio engineering, and how to apply this. Hence, you will have to take part in various hands-on projects, including studio time at college and internships. It is common for a curriculum to include courses in:

Circuit design.
Computer engineering.
Digital signal acoustics.

Once you have completed your degree, some of the careers that may be open to you include:

Music producer.
Location recorder.
Dialogue and music editor.
Digital media entrepreneur.
Studio manager.
Post-production engineer.
Sound recorder.

If music is something that fascinates you, but you don’t want to become a performer yourself, then audio engineering may be right up your street. You can enter these courses being completely new to the field, although it is often beneficial if you already have some experience. But not too much, because if you are self-taught, it is likely that you will have picked up a wealth of bad habits as well. Rather, you need to rethink everything you already know, and be prepared to admit that you have been doing things wrong for a while. The reason why it is important that you do have some experience, even if that is as a hobbyist, however, is because it is a highly specialized field, and you need to be sure that it is definitely where your interests lie.

Choosing Your School

If you are determined to study audio engineering, make sure that you take the time to compare the different schools. Look at their curriculum, who their faculty is, and where alumni now work. Geographical location and cost may seem important, but they are in fact far less important than things such as reputation and accreditation. Take your time in comparing what is available and what their degree includes in terms of their curriculum before coming to a decision on one to enroll in.

Become a Professional Sound Engineer by Going to School

July 4, 2017 by Mandy

The field of audio engineering is quite elusive, particularly if you seriously want to become a professional in it. In the past, it was mainly something for amateurs who had some equipment at home, and experimented to create new sounds. Essentially, it was nothing more than a hobby and a fun way to gain a greater understanding of how sound works. Today, however, there are audio engineering schools with great classes available for anyone who wants to become a professional sound engineer.

A Professional Outlook

Despite the availability of high quality education, audio engineering continues to be something that interests hobbyists. One of the reasons for this is that high quality equipment is now available quite readily and affordably. Furthermore, complex computer programs are now very user-friendly. However, this does not mean that amateurs are able to create the exact same sounds as the professionals. In fact, there are quite substantial differences between their techniques. Hence, if you hope to become a professional in this field, you should obtain an education.

Turning Your Dreams into Reality

There are clear differences between genuine, professional, commercial audio engineering and tinkering. By going to class, you can learn a lot of things that would take you years of experimentation and accidental discovery instead. Some of the things you can learn about include the effects of distortions and electricity on sound waves, the physics behind sounds, electronic standards, communication, and more. However, it can be challenging to get into these subjects, because this is where you will start to find out that, despite your years of having a hobby, you don’t actually know all that much.

A starting point would be to attend an actual audio engineering class. However, you should also consider what you want to do with your qualification at the end of it. Some of the areas of specialization include advanced audio production, the radio industry, radio broadcasting, MIDI, and audio, to name but a few. Not every school offers the same specializations, so you should do some research in terms of which school to go to.

Not only should you look at the specializations that the school of your choosing offers, but also at a variety of other things. Most people only get the opportunity to go to college once in their lives, so it is vital that you make the right decisions in terms of picking the school. Look into all the different details, such as who the faculty is, what type of work experience opportunities are available to you, whether graduates end up finding work in the field they studied towards, whether alumni continue to feel a sense of pride about their school, and so on.

Thanks to the internet, a lot of this information is available at our fingertips. However, you should, if at all possible, also go to an open day at the school. This will give you the opportunity to really see whether you will feel like you belong there.